The Bright Light of Optimism

The pandemic has cast a dark cloud of doom over much of the world. We’re largely locked down in our dwelling places, using Zoom or Ring Central by day and Netflix or Hulu by night – washing hands (again), avoiding people, being skeptical and generally existing in a dark place. Which is why today I’m writing about a bright light.

One of the habits I’ve developed as CEO of VGM Group is that I send a congratulatory card and children’s book each time a VGM employee-owner expands their family with a child. It’s a fun thing to do and a way to create an impactful experience at one of the most joyful times in a family’s life. Working from home, I had not sent cards in a few weeks, so the other day I had a chance to catch up. In just a few weeks we had twin boys born in Waterloo, Iowa along with a baby girl. We had babies born in our surrounding small towns of Grundy Center, Reinbeck and LaPorte City. We had a baby girl in the Nashville, Tennessee area. Six families, seven babies in just the past three weeks. In 2019 VGM parents brought 60 new babies into the world.

Nothing screams optimism like a brand new life. Our little baby boom at VGM is a statement about the future. It’s a statement of hope, of boundlessness. Bringing a new baby into the world is an act of placing a stake in the ground and declaring this is our life, this is our family, these are our dreams. That looks a whole lot like the bright light of optimism.

Yes, it’s a little dark out right now; perhaps more to worry about than ever. But when you look deeper you see signs of hope and cause for optimism. You see people in New York overcoming adversity. You see healthcare workers rallying. You see the Northwest on the backside of the curve. Along with too much TikTok and screen time, there are family meals being shared, conversations happening, board games played, books being read, neighbors helping neighbors.

Optimism doesn’t mean things are easy, nor that we are through the storm. Babies will be hungry, need diapers and create childcare anxieties. The virus will strike many more people. But still we forge ahead, shining our light with the hope and optimism delivered with the screams of brand new babies.