From the Desk of Joe Rollins
Tax season makes it difficult for me to keep current on non-business daily events. After working nearly 7-days a week for two months straight, the days and nights tend to run together and even determining what day of the week it is becomes difficult. You may have heard the old saying that “the reason accountants like Fridays is because that means there are only two more working days until Monday.”
After getting through the craziness of tax season, it’s easy for me to reflect on a long and difficult work period with positive thoughts. Some time ago, I posted a photo of my children, Josh and Ava, walking down the boardwalk toward the beach on Hilton Head Island. I didn’t think much about the significance of that photo when it was taken, but it certainly seems to have made an impression on some of the people that saw it. I received a lot of compliments on the photograph, and to my surprise, a close friend of mine for over 40 years even painted a rendition of the photograph for me. I was grateful to receive this special gift, and promptly hung the painting in my house.
In fact, I was so touched by my friend’s gift that I asked if she would do another, larger format painting of the photograph to hang in my office. I recently received the painting and had it framed, and now it is hanging proudly in my office. The next time you’re visiting my office, I will show it to you. In the meantime, here’s the original photograph and a picture of the painting. Isn’t it fantastic?
A special thanks to my talented friend, Patricia Brown, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, for painting this wonderful moment for me. Looking back, Sam and Pat Brown were some of my first friends when I came to Atlanta in 1972. Sam became my mentor, my employer, and later on, my client. Sam passed away unexpectedly a few years ago, and those of you who remember my printed newsletter, The Rollins Report, may remember my personal note about our friendship. I miss Sam a lot, and I am grateful that Pat and I are still old friends.
Looking ahead, I am also reminded that Joshua and Ava both celebrate birthdays during May. Joshua will turn 18 at the beginning of the month, and at the end of the month, Ava will turn 2. Joshua is also graduating from high school and will begin his college career in the fall. Ava is beginning to talk and is a lot of fun most of the time – the “terrific twos” aren’t always so terrific.
Josh recently attended his senior prom with his girlfriend, Carter, and here is a picture of them all dressed up for the festivities. To be fair, here are some pictures of Ava, one of which shows her enjoying this past Wednesday’s Braves game.
I have assumed that now and then, you would like to read something other than financial and tax news. So, the purpose of this post is not to bore you, but to show that some things in life are more important than the stock market, tax rates and other financial obligations.
I hope you are doing well and enjoying your own families during this beautiful spring!
Best regards,
Joe Rollins
