When our kids were small, we had a Friday night dinner ritual that included saying our weekly “thankfuls” (at about eight years old my son also began to include his “wishfuls”:-). In any event, my thinking was that by creating a habit of self-reflection our kids would develop “gratitude muscle”, and the means to zoom in on the positives in life. It’s with that attitude that I tell you I’m thankful, particularly right now for two things, and many people.
The first is that in 2014 the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted me a service mark for the exclusive right to use the Latin word Consilium (meaning to advise) as it relates to “legal consultation services in the field of divorce”, albeit in order to maintain it I would need to reapply in five years declaring the service mark remained in use as described in my initial application. I had no idea how quickly five years would fly by! But fly by it did, declare again I did, and allow it again they did, and for that I am thankful.
The second thing I’m thankful for is Massachusetts Chief Judge Casey’s commitment to creating a “triage” system in the Probate and Family Courts. Having given him a copy of my book, Dissolution to Evolution, and talked to him about the underlying concepts of the Consilium Process, I was extremely gratified when just about a week ago I heard him describe many of its hallmarks at the annual Massachusetts Family Law Conference, and tell the gathered family law practitioners he intended to apply them on a statewide basis. I’m thankful that in Massachusetts families will experience a more holistic approach when they are restructuring.
Although what the USPTO wanted to know for the purposes of maintaining my service mark was “have you been using your service mark during the past five years”, my focus during that time has been on developing The Consilium Process, and helping families most effectively restructure. What I am most thankful for are the hundreds of people who, during some of their most vulnerable days, have placed their trust in me and in The Consilium Process; I feel enormously privileged and greatly humbled by all of them.
Recognizing that less is often more, and what can be said in one word is often better than what can be said in many, it also seems to me that pictures are often better than any words, and food (often described as love) is better than pictures. So in celebration of the USPTO having renewed our service mark, the logical extension was to create an edible representation of The Consilium Process, and what better way to do that than with m&m’s? Next time you’re in our office please make sure you help us eat our just desserts.