Saying Goodbye
The past week has been a difficult one. On Friday, Melissa and I said goodbye to our long-time buddy, Buster Douglas Kitty. We first met Buster when we were living in Roanoke, VA back in 2003 – at the time he was about three years old (or so we were told). He was a neighborhood kitty and had been abandoned by some tenants who moved out from an apartment across the street.
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I like to say that he adopted us, not the other way around – we were the chosen. He moved with us to Sapelo Island where he did a good job avoiding the alligators and making friends with all of our neighbors. He tagged along up to Asheville where he became an indoor cat and lived the life of a spoiled feline – cushy beds, yummy food and all of the catnip he could indulge in. His only issue was his adopted sister, Savannah – the best way to describe them is frenemies. His favorite resting spot was my lap as I read or watched TV. He was a lover and was always friendly and curious with our guests. He loved to be held “baby kitty” style, on his back in my arms.
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Over the last year, he started to slow down and the past month it was obvious that he was on his way out. I never thought I’d be that attached to an animal, but as I’ve had a chance to reflect on it recently, I saw and interacted with him virtually every day for the past 17 years! You form an amazing bond over that long of a period.
And while we’re both pretty devastated at this loss, we know that we gave him the best life he could have ever wanted. We also know that a 20-year-old cat is pretty rare, so we’re also quite lucky to have had so much time with him. Over the past couple of days, Melissa and I spent time thinking about the things we learned from Buster Douglas. I thought I’d share with you…
- Unconditional Love – Buster never held a grudge. You could yell at him for getting underfoot or any number of things, but he always came back and wanted to be held.
- Daily Greeting – Buster always greeted us at the door. There’s something special about being greeted when you come back home.
- Togetherness – He loved it when the four of us were together, especially in the evening when we would sit down to read or watch TV.
- Be in the Moment – Buster was always present. He wasn’t thinking about the future or the past – a nice lap or a treat made him happy.
- Be Outside – He loved to be outdoors. Even when he became an indoor kitty, we still gave him opportunity to be on the deck where he could listen to the birds, smell the outdoor smells and take a good nap.
I can’t tell you all how badly I miss him as I sit here and write this. I know it will fade, but he’ll always have a special place in our hearts.
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Earth Equity News
Congratulations to Financial Advisor, Kerry Keihn who passed her CSRIC exam and has earned the Chartered SRI Counselor designation. Our goal is to have all of our financial advisors have this sustainable, responsible and impact investing designation from the College for Financial Planning.
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On to business…
The pandemic doesn’t seem to be slowing down, and if we don’t stop resisting common sense and scientifically recommended practices such as social distancing and mask-wearing in public, it’s not going to slow down. And this short-term recovery will be completely lost.
I’ve been closely watching the markets and the pandemic news as you know. Over the last day or two, I’ve begun to see a shift in sentiment, telling me that this short-term rebound may be slowing down. Volatility has picked up again and I’m seeing more and more stories questioning the reasoning behind the stock market run-up. There are simply too many people who aren’t taking COVID-19 and its potential impacts on the healthcare system and economy seriously. The EU is even considering barring Americans from entering when they open their borders up shortly – and they rely on US tourism for their summertime economy.
I’ve said all along that this is not a short-term issue we’re dealing with. Until we have a science-based, cohesive national policy, the pandemic will continue to spread and kill. The virus doesn’t care about the economy or someone’s right to not wear a mask.
We will continue our capital preservation stance in all of our diversified mutual fund models. I’m currently analyzing those models and working on any necessary changes to the models in anticipation of a rebalance on July 1st.
I greatly appreciate your business and trust during this time of uncertainty. We are working hard to make sure that we provide the best client service and communication so you never have to guess what’s going on.
Please feel free to share my weekly communication with your family and friends – we’ve had several new clients come to us recently and any introductions are always appreciated.
If you have questions or concerns, please let us know – we’re here to help.
My Best,
Peter Krull
CEO & Director of Investments
Earth Equity Advisors, LLC
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