Aniticpating the Week's End
Anticipating the week's end here. Notice: not saying "weekend." Sure, that's coming. But it's the end of this work week and market we're talking about now.
As for work, that's been relatively light, driven by three factors: 1) It's Easter Week and I try to settle into some sense of joy based on the reality of the Resurrection; 2) Market's have been docile, for the most part; 3) Some sort of spring congestion/cough plague-y thing's been a bit of a drag on my energy.
So the week's about to end with nothing special accomplished, no particularly illuminating movement in market prices, and that plague-y thing annoyingly hanging around.
Well, one correction here. Maybe nothing of great consequence in earthly terms due to my work was accomplished. But there was some success in keeping my mind and heart somewhat focused on the joyful Easter Season. Starting with my usual morning prayer, reading, and thinking about what I've read, I was able to stay focused on the awesome fact that Jesus suffered and died, then rose from the dead. His suffering and death opened the gates of Heaven such that, by the grace of God, when I die, I may enter into eternal happiness. Here's how St. Peter puts it in a letter he wrote to us (1 Pet. 3, 18):
There - short and sweet. If you don't get what I'm saying here, you've got the choice of either ignoring it or making it your business to find out more about the "Good News."
Staying focused on this required some effort. Lightening up the work load frees up mental space and energy for that effort. Every year I try to gear my work during Easter Week such that the joy of Easter takes root - at least in some basic way. This year was a bit more successful than some others. Odd, because with the death of our son this year, I'd have thought it would be either harder and likely less successful, or maybe not at all possible. But if you keep your heart and mind open to God's grace, you give Him the chance to do what's best for you. I guess He wanted joy to mingle with the sadness in some way such that Easter didn't just go by unnoticed. He succeeded.
It helped that market's have been so docile. The volatility index (VIX) has been at record lows for weeks. And stocks have responded by remaining slightly positive, even as the low VIX "should have" preceded a drop in prices (at least at temporary one). Bonds too have paused in their latest up and down yield dance. Gold was the one asset that dropped a bit, enough to cause some consternation. But the way we follow the gold price, it's really within a normal corrective range from a more general trend upward - something we expect to resume at some point this year until stronger evidence emerges (more dramatic price drop) to change that expectation.
When you look that over, you can see that there's no sense of immediacy for either making changes to our portfolios or communicating anything of consequence to clients. That will come in time, but not this past week.
As for the spring plague-y thing, it's here for now and - one hopes - will be gone tomorrow, or shortly thereafter. Compared to an acquaintance who's undergoing chemotherapy for an aggressive form of cancer, it's nothing, of course. But combining it with what's happened to this acquaintance, and then adding that to the recent sudden, unexpected death of our son, you can't help but be acutely aware that our situation in this life can be quite fragile. Despite eating reasonably well, and exercising diligently, I harbor no illusions that any of that will prevent some evil from taking over my body, if that's what's in the cards.
It's a sobering thought, and maybe not one you want to hear or think about. And for someone who takes his religion seriously, it does bring up the whole question of why a good God permits such evil (a question we don't have time to address here). But keeping an awareness of the fact that all may not be coming up roses for us all the time does keep things in perspective.
And maybe the best way to take all of this in springs from Easter Week. Whatever happens, Christ has died for us so that, as St. Peter puts it, "He might bring us to God." And His Resurrection assures us that we're not going to just disappear when we die. Not only will our souls continue to live, but some day our bodies will be raised and reunited to that soul of ours, on the "Last Day" (when the world as we know it ends).
Now there's a thought to keep the mind and body engaged with the task or tasks at hand today, whatever they might be for you and me. I don't know about you, but I'd really like my soul to get to Heaven when the time comes. And it will be something when that Last Day comes and we're all united with our bodies, won't it? So how to we tilt the odds in favor of this goodness happening to us? Here's a suggestion:
Take what's on your plate and do the best you can with it. Do it diligently, putting your best effort into your work. Do it with charity, treating others which whom you may come into contact as you would like to be treated. When the day's work is done, take a moment to look back and see how you did. If not so great, take note. Ask God to forgive you if any of your thoughts, words, or actions were in any way sinful. Ask Him to help you not to sin again.
Well, I wound biting off more than intended here. But, hey, it's Easter Week. What better time to raise you heart and mind from every day concerns to the more permanent, lasting things in this life?
As for work, that's been relatively light, driven by three factors: 1) It's Easter Week and I try to settle into some sense of joy based on the reality of the Resurrection; 2) Market's have been docile, for the most part; 3) Some sort of spring congestion/cough plague-y thing's been a bit of a drag on my energy.
So the week's about to end with nothing special accomplished, no particularly illuminating movement in market prices, and that plague-y thing annoyingly hanging around.
Well, one correction here. Maybe nothing of great consequence in earthly terms due to my work was accomplished. But there was some success in keeping my mind and heart somewhat focused on the joyful Easter Season. Starting with my usual morning prayer, reading, and thinking about what I've read, I was able to stay focused on the awesome fact that Jesus suffered and died, then rose from the dead. His suffering and death opened the gates of Heaven such that, by the grace of God, when I die, I may enter into eternal happiness. Here's how St. Peter puts it in a letter he wrote to us (1 Pet. 3, 18):
"Beloved: Christ died once for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God."
There - short and sweet. If you don't get what I'm saying here, you've got the choice of either ignoring it or making it your business to find out more about the "Good News."
Staying focused on this required some effort. Lightening up the work load frees up mental space and energy for that effort. Every year I try to gear my work during Easter Week such that the joy of Easter takes root - at least in some basic way. This year was a bit more successful than some others. Odd, because with the death of our son this year, I'd have thought it would be either harder and likely less successful, or maybe not at all possible. But if you keep your heart and mind open to God's grace, you give Him the chance to do what's best for you. I guess He wanted joy to mingle with the sadness in some way such that Easter didn't just go by unnoticed. He succeeded.
It helped that market's have been so docile. The volatility index (VIX) has been at record lows for weeks. And stocks have responded by remaining slightly positive, even as the low VIX "should have" preceded a drop in prices (at least at temporary one). Bonds too have paused in their latest up and down yield dance. Gold was the one asset that dropped a bit, enough to cause some consternation. But the way we follow the gold price, it's really within a normal corrective range from a more general trend upward - something we expect to resume at some point this year until stronger evidence emerges (more dramatic price drop) to change that expectation.
When you look that over, you can see that there's no sense of immediacy for either making changes to our portfolios or communicating anything of consequence to clients. That will come in time, but not this past week.
As for the spring plague-y thing, it's here for now and - one hopes - will be gone tomorrow, or shortly thereafter. Compared to an acquaintance who's undergoing chemotherapy for an aggressive form of cancer, it's nothing, of course. But combining it with what's happened to this acquaintance, and then adding that to the recent sudden, unexpected death of our son, you can't help but be acutely aware that our situation in this life can be quite fragile. Despite eating reasonably well, and exercising diligently, I harbor no illusions that any of that will prevent some evil from taking over my body, if that's what's in the cards.
It's a sobering thought, and maybe not one you want to hear or think about. And for someone who takes his religion seriously, it does bring up the whole question of why a good God permits such evil (a question we don't have time to address here). But keeping an awareness of the fact that all may not be coming up roses for us all the time does keep things in perspective.
And maybe the best way to take all of this in springs from Easter Week. Whatever happens, Christ has died for us so that, as St. Peter puts it, "He might bring us to God." And His Resurrection assures us that we're not going to just disappear when we die. Not only will our souls continue to live, but some day our bodies will be raised and reunited to that soul of ours, on the "Last Day" (when the world as we know it ends).
Now there's a thought to keep the mind and body engaged with the task or tasks at hand today, whatever they might be for you and me. I don't know about you, but I'd really like my soul to get to Heaven when the time comes. And it will be something when that Last Day comes and we're all united with our bodies, won't it? So how to we tilt the odds in favor of this goodness happening to us? Here's a suggestion:
Take what's on your plate and do the best you can with it. Do it diligently, putting your best effort into your work. Do it with charity, treating others which whom you may come into contact as you would like to be treated. When the day's work is done, take a moment to look back and see how you did. If not so great, take note. Ask God to forgive you if any of your thoughts, words, or actions were in any way sinful. Ask Him to help you not to sin again.
Well, I wound biting off more than intended here. But, hey, it's Easter Week. What better time to raise you heart and mind from every day concerns to the more permanent, lasting things in this life?
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