Thankful

Ages ago, like a month ago, in honour of Canadian thanksgiving, East End Mama
challenged us to write about what we are currently thankful for. (I’m pretty sure she’s
going to write about her iPhone.) As odd as this it sounds, I thought of one person — my
financial planner. Let’s call him Brad.

I have been dreaming of a guy like Brad for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, I love my
husband and would not trade him for anything. No, this is a different dream, one where
my money is organized and I don’t live paycheque to paycheque. One where I have
savings (SAVINGS!) and where it all seems to happen effortlessly. Are there families
where this happens? (Please say no.)

Brad is my knight armed with a calculator and a portfolio!

I believe that finding someone like Brad was on my long list of “to dos” during my first
mat leave, but we all know how those dreams are quickly traded in for fitting back in to
your jeans and showering. So, this time, I really am taking charge and crossing things off
the to-do list. Watch out, life: you are about to get purged and organized!

So, in comes Brad to our living room one evening at 8 p.m. (seriously, so convenient).
He never shamed me or my husband (though he should have) for having neither life
insurance nor a will. (I know, the guilt is ridiculous.) He just nodded and said, “I can help
you do that,” and, “Let’s make that a priority.” Seriously, I love him. I was like someone
in one of those hokey banking commercials where the middle-aged couple is nodding
vigorously at the person across the desk, and their life goes from black and white to
vibrant colour when they realize that they CAN retire at 85. He made us feel like saving
was attainable and helped us prioritize what we needed to do. A house with a pool:
probably not soon. New furniture and a vacation not on credit: yes! Life insurance for
$50 a month: yes!

On our second meeting, he also came up with a few simple ways to make our savings
stretch a little further and also told me that we weren’t in bad shape at all (still not sure
what qualifies as bad shape, really, but I am happy to be in the mediocre pile for the time
being).

So, that is what I am thankful for. I guess I am thankful that I finally sent the email to get
this ball rolling, that it is working out pretty well, and also that people like Brad exist to
comfort people like me.

Okay, I have to go, I still don’t have a will…

-Tightrope Mama


[image: vintage coin bank]