“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” – Frederick Douglass
The Barse family has some exciting news to share: we welcomed our newest member, Delaney Barse, into the world on March 13th. To say we are thrilled is an understatement, and we are happy to report that both Jodi and Delaney are doing well.
Life offers amazingly positive unforgettable moments. One such moment for us was when we introduced Zander to Delaney. In the months leading up to her arrival, we often told Zander that his little sister was growing in Momma’s baby bump. In true Zander fashion, he would then walk up to Jodi and plant a big kiss on her belly. While heartwarming, this isn’t even the unforgettable moment we’d like to share (more on that in a moment).
When the grandmothers brought Zander to the hospital to meet Delaney, I stepped out of the room to have a quick father-son talk with him. “Zander, you are about to meet your little sister. This is your little sister, young man, and you get to be her big brother forever,” I explained. “Are you ready to meet her?” I asked. Zander smiled and nodded his head, so I picked him up and we walked into the hospital room.
Here is the unforgettable moment. With Zander in my arms, we walked up to the bassinet, I looked down, and said, “Ok, Zander, here she is, this is your little sister, Delaney.” Zander thereupon gasped, donned the biggest smile I’ve ever seen, and motioned his arms down toward her. I leaned him forward, he put his hands on the side of bassinet, and he then planted a precious kiss on Delaney’s forehead. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
I invite you to reflect on such unforgettable moments in your own life, as these are often the moments that bring us the most joy and fulfillment.
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Parenting two children certainly offers the chance to work hard at work worth doing. I live with immense gratitude, not only for having fulfillment in my personal life, but also because my professional role offers the opportunity to bring fulfillment to the lives of others. As such, I wanted to share about two recent trips to Nashville and New York City.
Nashville
Yours truly attended an invitation-only conference of select financial advisers who partner with Commonwealth Financial Network. The retreat was hosted in Music City, as Nashville is known, which has blossomed in the years since I used to visit Nashville monthly to consult financial advisers in my former career.
Commonwealth believes in giving back to the community and hosts volunteer activities in which advisers can partake during retreats and conferences. I had the pleasure of participating in the development of a large food garden for the Nashville Food Project, which grows organic food and cooks meals to help alleviate hunger for Nashville residents. This was a great opportunity to share best practices with other advisers while making a positive impact on the local community.
New York City
One of my many professional passions is financial literacy; or, said differently, doing my part to help solve our nation’s financial illiteracy crisis. Given that April was financial literacy month, I flew to New York City to meet with esteemed members of the Fourth Estate and discuss ways in which financial advisers, CPAs, estate planning attorneys, teachers, and communities can help teach children and adults alike the foundational elements of core financial literacy.
I had the privilege of visiting the CNBC headquarters to meet with select reporters and editors to share my insight as a former consultant to financial advisers. (Side note: it was really, really cool sitting in the cafeteria among several of the television anchors I’ve watched over the years!). It was also an honor to meet with financial journalists and editors from InvestmentNews and ThinkAdvisor (formerly Investment Advisor Magazine).
Visiting the CNBC headquarters
News
Speaking of news, you may appreciate visiting the News section of my website to see some of the articles I’ve published or in which I’ve been quoted. It’s wonderful serving as an educational resource for the industry and general public. If there are any financial literacy ideas you’d like me to write about, I welcome your suggestions.
Please enjoy the balance of your spring season and be on the lookout for my next email about everyone’s favorite subject this time of year: spring cleaning.
Sincerest best,
Vance
Wealth Strategist
D. Vance Barse, AIF®