President's Page by Carolyn Steffl

Which state produces more than half of the global supply of cranberries?

If you said Wisconsin, you said it all.

This Thanksgiving, I traveled home to Madison, where I studied, became an adult and met the love of my life, for a big family gathering. It’s a year of transitions. Two of the children – my daughter and niece, are freshman in college, having adventures, living independently, and learning who they are. At the same time, my mom is forgetting who she is . . . and who we are. And, it’s terrifying, sad and frustrating.

So, let’s take a moment to be thankful for our big, beautiful, hardworking brains.

Just as surgeons rely on their hands, as attorneys, our brains are our money-makers. We have developed the skills to identify problems, take them apart, and put them back together. For litigators, that means crafting a story, leading the judge or jury to understand that the law and justice obviously support your client’s position. For transactional attorneys (like me), it’s about getting to a win-win, helping individuals with disparate interests but a common goal to agree on the big and small details, while thinking about the what ifs and planning for the future.

It's easy to take our brains for granted, to accept that learning new things and analyzing situations come naturally. But, it can all change so quickly. This happened to me in 2017, when, as the girl scout troop leader, I fell off of a horse and suffered a serious concussion. I woke in a field alone, not knowing where I was or how I got there. At first, all I could do was rest. Over time, I started working part-time, ½ hour at a time, then an hour at a time, etc., slowly building back up. We don’t consider thinking as a high energy activity, but it is. I experienced such fatigue that I needed to rest after working just short periods of time. I was so, so blessed to make a nearly full recovery. But, it certainly gave me an appreciation of every day.

As Coloradoans with an active lifestyle, I know so many people who have experienced head injuries from bike or skiing accidents. Other friends have reduced cognition from long COVID or from playing professional, high-impact sports. So, I know that a portion of our members are struggling with this right now. It’s worth it to me to take risks and enjoy the outdoors, even horseback riding, but I’m a big champion of helmets - my freshman daughter is probably the only one in her dorm with a bike helmet under her bed in case she rents e-bikes in central park.

And … dementia. Many of us are navigating this with our parents or grandparents, while balancing a demanding career and raising children. Some of us are facing dementia ourselves. My mom is only 75, and she has lost so much. Over thanksgiving, she was happy, surrounded by family, music and hugs, but later couldn’t remember who had been there. The littlest things seem baffling and new, but she was still a card shark – deep brain grooves for bridge and other card trick games. It’s terrifying to me that I could experience dementia at such a young age, too.

As a bar association, we recognize that our members face daily challenges, and sometimes we all feel alone in our struggles, but you are not alone. On December 12th, we will be hosting a meditation session at the BCBA offices (8-9 AM). There is some evidence that meditation and social connection help improve cognitive abilities and reduce stress. So, I encourage you to schedule something for yourself on your calendar and join us! Please click here to register for this free meditation session.

To conclude, on this day, I am thankful for my family, thankful for researchers studying neurology and aging, thankful for my mental acumen, thankful for the brilliance of my co-workers and friends, thankful for caregivers, thankful for patience, and thankful for this day. And, I’m thankful for all of our bar members. Thanks for reading.