HHM’s Manning: Enjoying Family Time, Everyday Moments

Patrick Manning, a lawyer with Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell in Youngstown, is coming back strong, alongside his family. You can read more about Patrick at his bio page on the firm’s website.

What are some ways the COVID-19 outbreak has affected your organization, and how is it rebounding?

When the shutdown first started, it had an immediate impact on a lot of our clients, which in turn resulted in an initial slowdown of activity for our firm. However, we remained engaged with and accessible for our clients, and as many businesses began to reopen and the courts began to adjust to the “new normal,” we were ready to pick up right where we left off. It’s actually been very rewarding to work with clients during all of this, since we’ve been able to help many of them navigate some pretty uncharted territory and have been able to provide a sense of stability during what’s been an otherwise crazy time.

How has the outbreak affected your personal life?

The outbreak has probably had an outsized impact on my personal and family life. My daughter, Rosie, received a life-saving liver transplant as a baby. As a result, she’s on immunosuppressant drugs to prevent rejection. This means she’s particularly at risk for contracting the Coronavirus, and the consequences of exposure could be severe. We’ve had to take extra precautions and be exceptionally careful. As a result, we’ve been spending a lot more time together at home. My wife, Samantha, and I have made the best of it, and have enjoyed the opportunity to be together as a family and get even more engaged in our children’s everyday lives. We’ve tried to get creative with new activities and projects. For example, we’ve organized Bingo games with our kids and their cousins over Zoom and we’re enjoying the little things, like nature walks through the Poland Municipal Forest and Mill Creek Park.

What steps are you taking to come back strong?

I’ve tried to use the downtime to pay attention to some of the things that often get overlooked during “normal” times – the quiet moments with family, exercising and getting back in shape, reading books, and reaching out to friends and family that I don’t normally talk to as much as I’d like. I’ve also been trying to refocus and re-prioritize, and work on avoiding letting the stress and uncertainty of the present time overwhelm me and the people in my circle. I think it’s important to use this time as an opportunity to become a better person, a better parent, and a better attorney.

What advice are you sharing with the people you love?

Be smart and be safe. Follow the recommendations of health professionals. As long as this whole thing has lasted, it will eventually end. If we take the right steps now, that end will arrive much more quickly.

Also, take the time to appreciate the good things, and don’t just focus on the negative. Enjoy the chance to be with your family and to take care of the loose ends you’d normally leave hanging.