42! Your first thought was Jackie Robinson; am I right? If it was Don Julio 1942, I will be there in ten, no ice, straight up is how I take it. Coincidentally though, 42 also marks the exact number of days since we released Volume 1 of Beyond the Beams: A Lifestyle Digest. I grabbed your attention by saying, “what makes a house a home is the people who fill it, not just the beams that surround them.” At the time, there was no way to know the level of poignancy and weight those words would carry forward a mere 42 days later. For some, a “home” and the people in them is literally all they have right now. For others, a “home” simply does not exist. Over the last 42 days our world as we know it has changed. The one constant that has remained the same is community, which is why Tenstar Properties pledges to continue sharing these musings because our community is yours too.

Although our communities have gone from hugs and handshakes to Zoom calls and virtual happy hours, some may argue our community will become stronger than ever. Others, may argue that our communities are scarred, scared, and scattered, and they will never recover. Even though it is hard to find an argument to the contrary, I can assure many that we are far from shattered. The resumption of a “normal” society as we once knew it will take time, patience, compassion, grit, and most importantly dignity from every person impacted by this awful pandemic.

Some may still be wondering what the #42 and Jackie Robinson has to do with all of this. In my most humble opinion, there are very few individuals who enacted as much positive change and forged as many monumental gaps in communities as Jackie Robinson once did. He never stopped fighting just because things became tough especially when the barriers grew even taller. He held his head high and made those around him realize the power of others, regardless of race, social status, or economic background.

Jackie Robinson once said, “the most luxurious possession, the richest treasure anybody has, is his personal dignity.” The dignity and strength we have all witnessed from every first responder impacted by this pandemic is utterly remarkable. This list includes everyone from a head ER Doctor to your city trash man. They are all hero’s in our eyes and Tenstar Properties would like to personally thank each and every one of them for their selfless acts of heroism. Many of these first responders do not want to take credit for being a hero, which is totally ok and entirely their prerogative because Jackie Robinson did not think he was a hero either. He simply realized his calling was to enact change in the community and world because he truly believed that anything that was for the greater good, was worth a fighting for.  

When I first realized Vol. II was set to release 42 days after Vol. I, I immediately thought of Jackie and all of his triumphs. The message and connection to community and all that Jackie stood for became vividly clear and even more relatable than ever. Did he have struggles and moments of complete exhaustion even to the point of wanting to just give up? I am almost certain he did, but that is exactly the idea. We are all struggling in some way right now, especially those directly impacted by this horrific event. Certainly, there is no struggle too small or too great right now.

At Tenstar Properties we want remind you that our door is always open. As we remain open for business, we want to assure you that we are in full compliance with local and federal mandates. As we continue to service our clients through this difficult time with dignity and trust, We must remember that community is what got us here and community is what is going to get us out of here.

We hope these articles provide everyone a little respite from the daily chaos of uncertainty that surrounds us. Thank you again to all our contributors and those set to be featured in an upcoming release. For inquiries or future article opportunities, drop me a line, I would love to chat. As a friendly reminder, Tenstar Properties promises to always be here for you. Shoot me an email, give me a ring or fire off a text for anything at all, there is no question or task too big or too small. To help those during these difficult times, Tenstar Properties is offering 40% off our normal listing commission through June 30^th. In addition, we will be donating 10% to various local, and domestic charities, fighting hard to keep us all safe. Read up and wash your hands!