Touted as The Best Seminar You Will Never Attend, the tongue-in-cheek promotion was spot on. Having attended IACP's Annual Forum in October, I was keenly aware that virtual collaborative conferences can still be intimate, connections can be made, and community shared. Texas Collaborative Professionals insured that 2021 Spring Conference was all that and a bag of (tortilla) chips more. The Course Directors, Planning Committee, presenters, CDT Board, State Bar and all responsible for the technical presentation/aspects did a yeoman's task to bring us the very best in collaborative education and the camaraderie of our Annual Membership Meeting and virtual “get-togethers”. An education, not merely in “nuts and bolts”, but in the spirit and mindfulness of Collaborative Practice. We all owe each of them a debt of gratitude.
While hugs and shared meals (ok, shared, and prolonged Happy Hours) will have to wait until 2022, what we experienced March 4 and 5, 2021 was what we all needed after the past year: re-invigoration of our collective passion for collaborative divorce and respectful service to our clients. We rightfully applauded each other for our perseverance and ingenuity to maintain our ability to serve our clients and their families during extraordinary circumstances, that impacted them and us. We learned that the situation of the past year not only allowed Collaborative Divorce to shine, but that there are new ways on the horizon to allow us to raise that illumination. As a community, we are not only ready, willing, and able to meet any new challenge, we are steadfastly committed to take what we have experienced and learned and use it to craft better paths to resolution for all participants in Collaborative Divorce.
With vaccinations and time, hopefully, life will return to the “old normal” soon. Collaborative Divorce will not, for it has been forever improved and the leadership and membership of Collaborative Divorce Texas is a substantial reason for this fact. I, for one, cannot wait to see the innovations you all bring to Collaborative Divorce in the year ahead, and cannot wait until I see you in person in March 2022 to learn all about same. Plus, someone has to owe me a drink. I know I owe the President lunch at El Patio.
