Finding Balance in 2025
Like many of you, I am slowly easing back into my work after a joyful and restful holiday break.
As someone who takes breaks much less frequently than I should, it can be jarring to get back to the grind; back to the ups and downs of the intellectual, logistic, and emotional rigor of practicing law.
I live between two worlds: one creative and the other practical. If I spend too much time in one, I lose touch with the other. Or at least that’s what I’ve always thought.
But recently, I’ve challenged that belief. What if the two are complementary rather than opposites? What if both can be enhanced by a balance of the two? I hope that I’ll find that balance this year. And I hope you will too -- whatever it is you want to balance.
Sincerely,
Shannon
Finding Something New to Hope For
Recently, I was disappointed when something that I very much hoped for didn’t happen. Dejected, I spoke to someone about how let down I felt.
She asked me “what is something new you can hope for?” I didn’t understand. I had hoped for this thing with all my heart and that carefully cultivated hope was shattered when the thing didn’t happen. The hope was broken. How could I rebuild it?
“Hope doesn’t just go away,” she said. “But you have to channel it somewhere else.” I walked away from the conversation without an answer.
Weeks later, I learned of something that shocked and delighted me: the Notre Dame cathedral had re-opened. Though I’m not Catholic, that place was special to me, as she was to many other non-observers.
As a former Parisian expat, I saw her as the heart of the city I loved. She united so many around her history, beauty, and location at the heart of the most beautiful city in the world. When she burned in 2019, even though it had been years since I lived in her orbit, I felt untethered from the place that had shaped my identity in early adulthood.
Then, merely 5 years later, the impossible had happened: she was renewed and restored. I was incredulous – learning about how so many people from all over the world had come together to rebuild and restore our lady in a timeframe that most experts thought unlikely.
It wasn’t just money and planning that brought her back – it was a shared hope; a shared determination and sense of responsibility to preserve her for future generations.
And I felt my own spark of hope being rekindled. I didn’t know where it would go, and to be honest with you, I still don’t.
That happens with our cases too. We might not get the result we want and our hope is shattered. And that’s OK. By the time we rebuild it, we might hope for something our present selves wouldn’t even imagine possible.
Did You Know...
Resource of the Month: Family Law Software
While Math may not be my favorite subject, it is unfortunately necessary in family law.
We family lawyers don’t become mathematicians overnight, we rely on software to make our complex child support and maintenance calculations (IYKYK).
The good news is that the software is available to everyone for free. That means you can easily do your own calculations or keep me honest by checking mine :).
Word to the wise: be careful that you only use Family Law Software for the free version -- there are a lot of dupes that can be inaccurate.
My Faves: Ice Skating Spots
While skiing will always be my favorite winter sport, ice skating is a close second. It’s a form of play that unleashes the inner child in all of us. Here are some of my favorite local(ish) spots:
Top Choice (outdoor): Lakeside Village Keystone, $20 for adults, $15 for kids
Second Choice (outdoor): Evergreen Lake, $15 admission
Best Indoor: South Suburban Sports Complex, $7.50 for residents, $9.50 for non-residents
Thank you for reading!
Bluebird Law, LLC
Swarren@bluebird-law.com
303-900-7796
450 W 14th Ave. #40852, Denver, CO, 80204
