Hello Friend.... 

It's almost cliche to ask... but ... are you ok?

The events of last week shook us to the core.  Maine is a small town.  I'm pretty certain that due to our "3-degrees of separation," each and every one of us has been impacted by significant loss and grief.  I had the same pit-in-my-stomach feeling I had on the morning of 9-11.... our feeling of safety and security has been rocked.... broken.... violated.   As a leader, I had to make decisions that morning, as I am sure you did as well.  Do we stay open? Do we reign in our workers? Are our associates OK?  What needs to be communicated? What actions do we take?  All those questions swirling as other thoughts of panic take hold such as "have I heard from my family?" and "when is the last time we checked in?" to... "could he strike again?" 

I had some clients call me Thursday morning asking for guidance on what to do.  As always, we looked at safety first, then core values.  By leaning into their core values, my clients made the right decisions based on the facts and information they had at the time.  And while I reassured them of this, it didn't remove the sick feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty. 

I was scheduled to attend the Associated General Contractors of Maine's Fall conference in Bar Harbor last weekend.  As Friday morning came, and the shooter was still at large, I wondered what AGC's leaders would decide to do.  Cancel a conference that was over a year in the planning?  What I appreciated was the communication that came from the Executive Director, Kelly Flagg... she said "We understand and respect that some of you may choose to stay close to your families at this time, but also know that maintaining a sense of community is good for our mental health in trying times. There is no stronger community than ours."

"There is no stronger community than ours."

After reading those words, I knew there was no where I'd rather be, but with the good, like-minded, hard-working people that I have made it my mission to serve.  Friday night, after enjoying lobster, a warm cozy fire, and the music from the 12-OC Band, we heard the news we had been holding our breath to hear... he had been found, and he is no longer a threat. 

Saturday morning, we gathered in the hotel lobby, piled into a tour bus (that was driven by a delightfully funny and chipper guide!), drove up the windy roads of Cadillac Mountain, and disembarked into the dark.  We gathered together and watched as the eastern horizon turned shades of purple, indigo, and pink.  I noticed the lights of Bar Harbor glowing as the sleepy residents were likely waking up to brew their coffee and start their day. 

As the sun broke over the horizon and turned the clouds cotton candy pink, the faces of the people I was sitting near emerged from the darkness, and they were illuminated with hope, community, awe... and yes, a tinge of sadness and grief. 

If you've made it this far into reading my not-so-typical correspondence to you, I want you to know I see you emerging out of the darkness too... and these are not-so-typical times.  It's hard to lead your team when perhaps all you want to do is stay home and hug your family.  I get it. I see you.  

If you are having a harder time bringing the light back into your day, please lean on your community for support, not just through difficult times, but all times.  Please never feel you have to make heavy decisions, navigate difficult discussions, or carry things on your own.  

My dedication and resolve is stronger than ever before.  My mission is to help hard working Mainers prosper and thrive, even on our darkest days. 

I'm available to talk.
Priscilla 
207-837-0075 (ok to text)


Additional support services:
Youturn Health also offers several self-service Grief and Trauma resources available for anyone in need: https://lnkd.in/gdewwVzW

The Behaviorial Health Resources of Maine has created a webpage of resources affected by the violence in Lewiston:
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/node/4919

Support the Maine Deaf Community: Oct 25th Shooting Relief Fund by purchasing a shirt/hoodie:
https://sistersinstyleonline.com/collections/Deafmaine?fbclid=IwAR3krK8NpUH6Dhz-RkeemORrBXm0CyQrHkEv7FWM5ZHW5xrzhV1dugrF7SQ