Everyone knows what is occurring in our economy. The effects are felt in every region and in almost all industries. The difficult markets we face have been especially tough in the Green Industry, and with design/build contractors in particular.

I started to write a blog yesterday on the ‘State of our Industry’. The reports I received from around the country were, as expected not good. It was only after the arrival of my mother yesterday from central Florida, that I decided to change my report.

Mom hasn’t been to the northeast in almost 15 years. As she flew in and looked out the airplane window on a beautiful Fall morning she was overwhelmed with the beauty below. On our drive home from the airport she couldn’t stop marveling at the wonderful palate of colors that surrounded her, something she just doesn’t see in sunny Florida.  She pointed to the fiery ‘October Glory’ maples in all of their splendor, the rusty red ‘Village Green’ zelkovas and the numerous yellows, orange and rust colored leaves that graced the canvas of our landscape.

It was then that I realized it is time to step back and look at what I have  taken for granted. In all the worries and concerns we face, we often forget the beauty of the world that surrounds us. The simple things. It is important that we stay grounded enough, focused enough to appreciate the blessings we do have; our faith, our families and friends and hopefully our health. The innocent appreciation of a glorious fall afternoon from mom has redefined my focus on what I have, not on what is missing.

We will survive these economic uncertainties, overcome our challenges and be stronger because of it. In the meantime, lets look out the window, in our yards and enjoy the beauty, we too often forget see.