It’s Monday the 21st today, as I put this post together. We’re hard at work, digesting all of the tax provisions in the huge omnibus spending bill (http://onforb.es/1QFX5J5) that was passed on Friday.
We’ll be taking a few days to break, and be with our families for some holiday time together, but as you may understand, these next few months will be rather “busy” for us, and we are hopeful that we can get ahead of it as much as possible.
As the years go along, I’m increasingly aware of how this holiday season is a time of joy for many, as well as a time of pain for a significant portion of my contacts as well.
Missing loved ones, loneliness, and pain can sometimes be the most prominent decorations of this season, and if that’s the case for you, know that you are not alone, and that you are loved and appreciated.
Not just by us here at Team Roberts, but undoubtedly by more people than you could possibly imagine. THAT is the bottom-line, real-world truth, whether you believe it or not right now.
And, while I often write about important financial and tax-related matters in this blog, I thought I’d share with you my annual prayer for the holidays. It’s worth printing and clipping near your monitor, so you can remember it, even beyond this week. I can’t take credit for writing it, and I don’t honestly remember where I got it. But I believe that it’s helpful enough to share it with you here.
So, I’ll save the tax and financial stuff for another time. In the meantime, perhaps you can join me as I do this …
Roberts On The Omnibus Spending Bill And A Prayer For The Holidays
“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust
“God, help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.
“Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can’t make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.
“Remind us, Lord, that the scary-looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares …
“Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slowly through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.
“Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love. ”
Amen.
Best to you. May your season be truly bright.
To your family’s financial peace over these holidays…
Warmly,
Kevin Roberts
(502) 426-0000
Roberts CPA