Our family is friends with another family that is currently going through some difficulties. They're enduring a crushing combination of medical, financial, and logistical issues that's making their day-to-day life profoundly challenging. The long-term picture is no simpler.

These are good, smart, nice people and've found themselves in a situation that they're unable to cope with.

So, what can they do? Build a drug selling empire? Sell the kids into slavery? Amway?

Oddly, they chose none of these options. Instead, they reviewed what resources they had available. Although they do not own a wheelbarrow or a holocaust cloak, they did realize that they have a set of intelligent and capable friends and relatives. So, like any corporation that needs guidance, they have gathered a select group of smart advisor and asked them to be the Board of Directors for their family.

Wisely they did not choose me for this role, because I am a perplexing combination of surly and goofball. Also, my giant zit, Pierre, would be a complete distraction during Board meetings. They did, however, ask Hank to join their family's Board of Directors, because she is smart, organized, thoughtful, and acne-free.

I think it's a pretty interesting idea, to gather capable people that you can trust with your private family issues, and ask them for ideas and guidance. I had never heard it formalized in quite this way. The Board is having their first meeting right now in our living room. I sure hope they come up with something smart.