With St. Patrick’s Day upon us, it would be easy to get caught up in the festivity associated with a day where we all consider ourselves Irish regardless of our heritage. However, with the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, I would be remiss not to share the life lesson it means to me.For several years in writing these newsletters, I’ve reflected many times on my extraordinary childhood and the memories I’ve held dear to this day. I think of my diverse group of friends where the color we talked about was in our box of crayons, not the color of our skin. You were Italian if your last name ended in an “a,” an “i,” or an “o,” and if your hair was red, you were Irish for sure. We celebrated the things we had in common and laughed at our differences for the most part. While our parents bore the scars from a tough early life, they rarely talked about those times and often told us their goal was to give us a better life than theirs.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve also mentioned that I’ve become increasingly fascinated and more appreciative of those who fought so hard to give us the freedoms we enjoy today. Through countless articles and documentaries, I’ve tried to envision what it must have been like to be in the heat of the battle and the unquestionable sacrifice and bravery it took to leave loved ones behind and answer the call to serve their country. However, as much as I tried to grasp the intimacy of that experience, once I closed the book or came to the end of that documentary, I was safely home again, and my only scar was the bad dream I had just experienced.Maybe it is because most of my generation didn’t have to fight a war, and unwittingly we’ve passed a certain naiveté and complacency down to the next generation. We don’t hear about sacrifice but more about entitlement. We don’t celebrate our similarities but focus on our differences. The teams we picked in dodgeball are far different from those we choose today, where color, political beliefs, and “my way is better than yours” are the deciding factors.
I’m amazed at how fast our world seems to be spinning out of control, and the values we held so dear have been tossed aside as antiquated thinking and no longer relevant. I’ve often prayed that God would get us back on track with some wake-up call before it is too late, and perhaps he finally has gotten our attention.Those close to me know I start each day reading my devotionals and reference those readings with stories in the Bible. I find it amazing the stories in those pages I’ve been reading for decades appear to be playing out in front of us today. Sacrifice, persecution, bravery, and love of fellow man are on full display. It is as if we’ve been thrust back in time when those were qualities to be admired rather than avoided and taken for granted.
The tragedy we are seeing unfold in Ukraine is not much different than the story of David and Goliath. Who would ever think a comedian named Volodymyr Zelenskyy could rally his country and harness that resolve into a national battle cry. He sounds more like a character out of a Harry Potter novel, yet this unlikely hero is fighting alongside his fellow citizens against this mighty foe. And who would have thought countries throughout the world would be inspired to set aside their differences and rally around this outclassed nation of people whose only desire is to live in peace?I’ve often said, “Men make plans, and God laughs,” and in an extraordinary way, God not only has a sense of humor in choosing the person he has but a plan no one could have expected. Sound familiar? Anyone who has played a team sport knows you leave your differences in a locker room, but you go out on the field as one. Is this our wake-up call and our last opportunity to come together as a nation ourselves? Is this our opportunity to resolve our differences instead of being so galvanized in our opinion and thought? I hope the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine will make us better as individuals and stronger as a nation before the lesson must be learned again. We have so much to be grateful for, and I hope that we not only rekindle what we have taken for granted for so long, but we can be an inspiration to others as the people of Ukraine and their president have been to the world.
We know many deserving charities are in dire need; however, at this time, the people of Ukraine desperately need our support. Listed are some of the organizations supporting their plight.
BStrong– Bstrong’s mandate is getting refugees out and aid into Ukraine #refugeesoutaidin Bstrong and Global Empowerment Mission have established a Welcome Center in Medyka, Poland/Ukraine border.
Expansion into Hungary & Romania: Your donation is scaling outside of Poland to partners in two other Ukrainian border countries to provide aid.
Airbnb.org Sign up to provide temporary housing for Ukrainian refugees or donate to their stays.
Care.org The international humanitarian group is providing food, water and other items to families fleeing violence in Ukraine.
Project Hope The global health and humanitarian relief organization is on the ground in and around Ukraine delivering medicines and medical supplies. It has teams in Ukraine, Poland, Moldova and Romania.
-Gary Cardillo
Wasn’t it just yesterday when we made our New Year’s Resolutions? I know I put them around here somewhere in my start to the New Year promise to myself. Is it me, or did someone misplace January? That seems to be missing as well; however, my calendar says it’s going to be Valentine’s Day in a few days. Is it possible for me to get a do-over?
Having lost several close friends since Thanksgiving, it has been a bit of a wake-up call and a bit of a nudge not to take life for granted and to give some thought into pursuing some of those resolutions sooner than later. To be honest, it has even made me look a bit more deeply into those resolutions and how they can be used to help the lives of others.
Then you have Betty White, who has touched the hearts of so many with her sense of humor and ability to teach us not to take ourselves too seriously. She became more like that family member or confidant you knew you could trust through her many roles. To me, she was that little bit of sugar that gave us a respite from the negativity we are bombarded with each day.
Howard and I shared almost nothing in common, and he had a strong opinion on everything. He could sound like Archie Bunker at times, other times just an old curmudgeon. Politically we couldn’t have been further apart, although he often said to me, “I can’t figure out what side of the aisle you’re on.” He hated phonies and often would say Realtors were like snake oil salesmen, but he always ended his comment with, “but I like you.” He started his day with his vodka and orange juice which he kept flowing throughout the day, yet kept up with the stock market and loved his sports and passion for sailing. I often would tease him that one day I was going to find he embalmed himself on his couch with a cocktail in hand, to which he would reply, “then you’ll have another house to sell.” However, despite living by himself with his cat and only having a few close friends, there was something about him I liked. Maybe it was our fun verbal sparring sessions or just his unabashed outlook on life, but somewhere under his crusty exterior was someone special. Over the years, he spoke of a few loves in his life, but mostly it was just a recounting of a simple life that seemed ordinary at best. However, it wasn’t until his recent passing that another life lesson was about to unfold. Unbeknownst to me, Howard had a passion for children with terminal illnesses and left most of his healthy financial portfolio to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. When I heard this news from one of his close friends, I thought to myself, “without any mention or desire for the recognition, he made a lasting impact on the life of others.” I was stunned by this man’s passion for something he never spoke about.
I started to reevaluate my New Year’s resolutions and thought there is always more we can do just by being ourselves as much as we give. Sure it is great to get into better shape, finish that book you started writing years ago, or take time to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer. Still, I’m learning there are many ways we can impact the lives of others as they have to me, even if it is just putting a smile on someone’s face who’s having a challenging day.
Through these friendships, we’ve been all over the world from Singapore and Vietnam to Europe and South America. We traveled through the back roads of our great country and journeyed the Intracoastal from Florida to New England. We’ve met politicians and have been to some of the most dangerous locations in the middle-east. “How did you get to do all of this in such a short life span you may ask?” While I’ve experienced some very special places when traveling through our country, unfortunately the closest I’ve gotten to Europe was a road trip to Massachusetts. Sarah Palin may have claimed to see Russia from her home in Alaska, but through the intimate stories told by clients who became close friends we feel as if we experienced these real-life stories and adventures, many of which we hope to take ourselves someday.
Everyone has a story or knows of someone who has a storied background, but when you have the opportunity to spend as much time with clients as we do, their histories come to life in a way that makes you feel as if you went through a time with them. I remember one client who had been in the largest naval battle to this day. He was on a 500 ft. aircraft carrier in the Philippines and to listen to his story of the incoming fire they took, you couldn’t help but feel you were right alongside him. Other clients spoke of Communist regimes they escaped and how their families lost everything they had to come to our country. Others have been in the entertainment industry, some have been writers and still, others have created products that are widely used today. There have been CEOs and those that rose from poverty to creating highly successful businesses, going on to mentor others so they could have an opportunity to better themselves. We’ve also heard countless stories from physicians, who without fanfare traveled abroad to many third world countries administering to those in need, and did I mention a Grammy award-winning Pastor whose lives he continues to touch each day? For those of you whose stories have appeared in our newsletters you know who you are, and how your stories have had such an impact on my life, as have so many others.
We live in a time where the media is focused more than ever on negative news and the things that divide us, not the common ground that can bring us together. When I see thousands of people turn out in mass to simply watch the lighting of a Christmas Tree or eight Clydesdale horses pulling a wagon through the streets of our downtown with two men and a Dalmatian sitting alongside them, I think to myself, “aren’t these the timeless pleasures we seem to embrace, and innately desire to enjoy?”
The new FEMA flood changes are on everyone’s mind these day, as the increases went into effect on October 1, 2021. Instead of relying on “flood zones” as a determination of your flood exposure, the new system is referred to as “Rating 2.0,” which is a single risk modeling system that takes into consideration area and proximity to harbor, replacement coverage, frame vs. block construction along with slab vs. pilings. Also considered is prior flood loss. Banks may use flood zones, but insurance companies are going by the new rating system. So what does all of this mean you ask? Well, if you have an existing flood policy your flood insurance will increase approximately 18% per year until you reach the figure FEMA has established as the target figure for your property. If you don’t have flood insurance then you will be subject to the new valuations FEMA has established. When buying a home it is important to find out in the beginning of your negotiations if the current seller is carrying flood insurance, as this will impact your investment in the home significantly. To give you a better understanding of the difference in buying a home where the seller is carrying flood insurance verses one where they aren’t, recently we had a buyer purchasing a home on a gulf access canal. They were quoted $6,700.00 to obtain flood insurance for the home. Thankfully, the seller’s insurance carrier said their policy could be assumed, which saved our buyer a significant amount of money as the seller was paying $1,080.00 for flood insurance. It is important to find out up front when negotiating the purchase of a home if the current homeowner is carrying flood insurance and if the policy can be assumed.
While most people would like to talk about themselves, Gary and Gail have always put their clients first, and their diverse backgrounds have provided their clients an unparalleled level of service and knowledge throughout the past years.