To say the least, the end of the year is busy. Shopping, kids’ and grandkids’ school concerts, parties, dinners, greeting cards, newsletters, office gatherings, end-of-year accountings and other tax matters, decorating, and forever on.
Ever tempted to say, “Bah Humbug!”?
More importantly, are you driven to think and maybe even behave a bit like Ebenezer Scrooge, as portrayed in “A Christmas Carol”?
‘Tis the season to be jolly, and that’s true. It can be difficult to juggle everything and everyone and maintain a cheerful disposition, but it is important to not let the trappings rob us of the joys and pleasures and delights of the special time.
Perhaps the most important caution for the season is about how we view and treat others.
Scrooge is a great study. Who was Scrooge? How would you describe him? I would wager that very few, if any, readers have an immediate positive thought. Our focus, as for many around us, tends to the penurious, selfish, cold and lonely old man.
We forget that Scrooge had a marvelous change. In spite of his earlier sorry life, the final, and lasting Scrooge was a person whom we should emulate. These are the closing paragraphs of Dicken’s story:
Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.
He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!
I wish for everyone a great holiday season, with deeper and more meaningful activities and relationships. I wish for all of us to see the good and potential in others, and to all work together to make our homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, nation and world a better place. May God Bless Us, Every One!
Contributed by MH Mesa, Phoenix and Scottsdale Estate Planning Attorney and partner, Theron M Hall Jr..
About Morris Hall:
At Morris Hall, we have focused our legal practice on estate planning for over 40 years. Along with estate planning, our attorneys help clients and their families with matters of probate, trust administration, wills, power of attorneys, business planning, succession planning, legacy planning, charitable gifting and other important legal aspects. We also have divisions in financial, real estate and accounting to help you incorporate all of your planning together, ensuring that everything works perfectly for your needs and situation. Our Arizona offices are located in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Cave Creek, Tucson, Prescott, Flagstaff and Arrowhead. Contact us today at 888.222.1328 to schedule an appointment!
This blog should be used for informational purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.
This blog should be used for informational purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.
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