Adam, Kim, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and of course to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
As with quite a number of years now, in lieu of sending individual Christmas cards, we have once again decided to make a donation to a worthy cause.
I recently received the sad news that a friend of mine had passed away and that in the years preceding his death he had been struggling with mental health and alcohol issues – I had no idea! In our last conversation earlier this year, he was seemingly as bright and upbeat as ever, there were no clues to the turmoil he must have been going through behind closed doors.
This has caused me to reflect that there must be many people who we interact with daily, maybe even close family and friends, who are dealing with issues privately of which we know nothing. It has reminded me to be less judgemental when someone might be behaving a little strangely and above all, to be kind.
Instinctively when we become aware of a situation such as my friend’s passing, we ask, ‘Could I have said or done anything that might have made a difference, if only I had known?’ It’s a sad fact however, that we often don’t know about peoples’ mental health issues because there is still a stigma attached to discussing such things, people are therefore left to struggle alone.
Fortunately, there are charities such as Mind who can provide valuable assistance. If we can work towards removing the stigma around mental health and encourage those who need it to seek help, we would all be making a positive difference.
Our chosen charity this year is Mind; you can find more information about the important work they do here Home - Mind.
I do hope 2024 brings you all you would wish for and please remember, every minute of life is priceless and will never be repeated, so take time to enjoy, be grateful for and celebrate your existence!
With very best Christmas wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Graham Ponting CFP Chartered MCSI
Managing Partner
