It’s Monday the 19th, as I put this together, and many of our clients and friends are gearing up for a week of family and merriment, with a side dish of a little stress thrown in for good measure!
I’m very aware that while the holidays are a time of joy for many, they are just as often 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 only by us here at Team Venuti, 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 by the way, we are still meeting with clients to help them with year-end issues, so feel free to email me or call us at 610-353-0686 for help.)
And, while I often write about important business, financial ,and tax-related matters in this, my weekly Note, I thought I’d share with you my annual holiday 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 its authorship, and I don’t honestly remember where I got it. But it’s good.
So, I’ll save the tax and financial stuff for another time. In the meantime, join me … here:
Stephen Venuti’s Annual Holiday Prayer
“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.” -Gandhi
“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.
Feel very free forward this article to a Newtown Square, PA business associate or client you know who could benefit from our assistance — or simply send them our way? While these particular articles usually relate to business strategy, as you know, we specialize in tax preparation and planning for Newtown Square, PA families and business owners. And we always make room for referrals from trusted sources like you.
Merry Christmas,
Stephen Venuti
610-353-0686
Stephen J. Venuti, CPA, MST, LLC
