With all of the schedule changes caused by COVID these days, I honestly don’t know how I’d be managing if it weren’t for someone I met years ago. The angel’s name was Linda Stuhlman. Linda worked as the director of my children’s summer camp, and that morning I encountered her breathtaking approach to change would end up transforming me forever.

You see, Ms. Stuhlman meticulously planned every minute of every day at her school. Her schedule was so air-tight, I was straight-up dreading having to disrupt her system by picking up the kids early one day. When I finally worked up the courage to make the request—it did not jar Linda in the least! “Ok, so I’ll have these kids go here, and this one go there instead, and that will mean they’ll be all ready when you grab them at 1 pm.” Holy crap! How is this seemingly Type A person not having any issue with a switch to her well-thought-out, precisely executed plan?

Before Lovely Linda, it was my understanding that if someone was a routine-person, you best not mess with their routine. But, this majestic creature showed me the perfect approach of being able to make a solid plan, while also remaining serene when that plan needed to be modified. Before that moment, I didn’t even know these two approaches could live in the same house, let alone the same person.

Thank God Linda came into my life in the early 2000’s. Working to adapt her approach is the only thing that could have come close to preparing me for this Change Boot Camp, 2020-2022. But it’s not really Change Boot Camp, is it? This has been a Change War. Yes, this has been an endless war of last-minute cancellations and rerouted arrangements. And, ya know what? Calling it a war makes me incredibly proud of everyone. The people I surround myself with have been battling all of this redirection with grace and understanding. Team, you’ve been my Linda Stuhlmans over the past 24 months. When I think I can’t handle one more friggin’ change—you’ve gotten me through it. I’m so blessed to be in these trenches with such inspiring people—thank you! Thank you! Thank you!