Focusing on Gratitude for this Thanksgiving

Larry Becker and Dr T online November 17, during the FLASH Conference. They're an incredible educational duo always exceeding expections.

by Skip Cohen

I'm not sure when or where it started, but getting together for Thanksgiving dinner, we'd go around the table, and each person would talk about what they were thankful for. This year has been a tough one for ALL of us. Because of the pandemic, we're all dealing with many of the same challenges. 

I'm thankful for Sheila in my life; our family and friends, two crazy puppies, our health, and especially the support of all of you, my readers. But here's one more to add to my list this year, and it's pretty special.

Larry Tiefenbrunn, also known as "Dr. T." and founder of Platypod, came down with Covid-19 sometime during the week of November 9. He's called Dr. T because he's a full-time pediatrician in his "spare" time. For those of you who have never met him, he's also an incredibly talented photographer, engineer/designer. He never does anything halfway - including his friendships.

So, quarantined and nursing a fever, on November 17, he did what I think is the best presentation I've ever seen him do. It was an evening program as part of the KelbyMedia Flash Conference with Scott Kelby and Joe McNally. He called me the following morning as he was being admitted to the Covid wing of the hospital.

I've been in this industry my entire adult life and never worked with or for anybody quite like Larry. So, as his CMO for Platypod, he's my boss, but far more important, he's become an incredibly good friend. Together with his wife Mina, they've made my life richer, and worrying about him with Covid-19 could have been overwhelming. But remember how I mentioned he never does anything halfway?  Well, that includes his own health.

Yesterday, a week after being admitted, at 2:30 in the afternoon, he was headed home! As Larry mentioned in a call earlier in the week - "This virus is unique, and no two cases react the same to treatment." He'd been stable from the beginning - but "stable" didn't mean "better", and that's the word we all wanted to hear. Thanks to a great pulmonologist who wanted to try another medication earlier in the week, the word stable was replaced with better, and he was headed home forty-eight hours.

So, today when it's just Sheila and me around a small turkey and some of our favorite side-dishes, still missing family and friends but filled with gratitude, I've got one more thing to be thankful for - Larry and Mina in our life.

​To all of you, have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving. I know it's going to be a different kind of day than in the past, but there's still so much for which to be thankful!

And to Dr. T - Welcome home, buddy! But as I told you yesterday - if you ever scare us like that again, I'll hunt you down! LOL

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