Wait for Storms to Pass Before Trading

First, I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday. I had the pleasure of both seeing both my daughter and wife race in Philadelphia's Independence Day Regatta, and for once the weather was terrific.

But now I think everyone is back in the swing of things until Labor Day, and I wanted to kick things off with a tricky topic, as outlined in the email below.

"Gary, awhile back you told everyone to hold off writing you when your house caught fire as you would be unable to adequately respond. You then mentioned not being truly sentimental and attached to personal effects. What do you do, or recommend, when it is personal? I have come up against a situation where I am very much emotionally affected; is there a way that I can honestly and accurately assess my ability to make sound judgments? Perhaps I am asking what you would do if you were in such a position. What can one do to get back on track?" ...