Perhaps it’s because of the craziness of the past year and a half, maybe it’s the local San Diego the weather … but for some reason, the holiday season has caught us off guard over here at Top Hat Tax & Financial Services. Wasn’t it just the end of summer the other day?

This year particularly, with the heightened tax season, political turmoil, and global health battles, it seems like Thanksgiving has hurtled its way like a high-speed train toward us out of seemingly nowhere.

But, despite the surprising arrival, I’m inclined to think it’s a good thing. Even as we move forward as a nation toward a somewhat unsure future, Thanksgiving is our opportunity all throughout our San Diego area to take a collective breath, remember the good, and count our blessings.

Right now, there’s a lot of shifting going on across the nation related to jobs, health, personal convictions, politics, and so on. And that means emotions are high, and it’s easy to get lost in it all.

But in that shift is a practical truth: There’s never a “perfect time” to stop and give thanks. Sure, it’s a bit easier when something nice happens, but it’s just as important (if not more) to offer up gratitude when things look shaky.

I like to remember our iconic 16th president, who made a national holiday out of being thankful in the midst of a devastating civil war. He too saw the value of shifting the nation’s gaze from anxiety-inducing swirl to a posture of remembrance for the many gifts that are so easy to forget.

Let’s take in a snippet of the opening to Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamation (something worth reading in its entirety):

“The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added …”

Personally, I’m grateful for YOU and all of my San Diego clients. I never want to take you for granted.

I’m grateful for your trust as we walk with you through sensitive financial waters and for the opportunity you provide me to pursue a vocation that, despite the sometimes taxing toll, brings me great pleasure.

I’m grateful to the people around me who make it even easier to serve you. I’m thankful to live in a nation and an age in which I can post these kinds of personal notes. And I’m grateful that we get to enjoy a relationship of true meaning, even in the midst of transactional details.

As I gather at my table with loved ones this week, I’ll be thinking of you, of President Lincoln, and of a nation of peoples with many stories that can all stop to find the good in the difficult.

And finally, on a “tax note,” although we are busy heading into the end of the year, know that we’ll always make time to help you save on taxes. Schedule a time to chat 858-549-9666, and let’s get your 2021 tax return set up to save you the most that is legally and ethically possible.

From me to you… a heartfelt thank you.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving,

Darryl A. Hale, EA, MBA, MST