"And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees and changing leaves." -Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse
The human brain is said to judge the trustworthiness of strangers in less than one-tenth of a second. Just three involuntary interruptions per day (kids, texts, social media alerts) can add up to the equivalent of losing an hour's worth of time, as your brain attempts to refocus on the task at hand. Even in a long and grueling year like 2020, October has—silently and inexplicably—pounced upon us like a cat. When it comes to our perception of time, as the saying goes, "the days are long but the years are short."
Time plays an essential part in financial planning and investing, affecting generations to come, so it's always on our mind. The rainy, poetic cadence of autumn lends itself to slowing down, reflecting on change, taking back our time. This year's shifting and unending trials—on our health, safety, livelihoods, sanity, racial equality, civil liberties, economy, environment, relationships, and more—have altered our sense of time and encouraged notice of small wonders. A long hug from a spouse after surviving precautionary quarantine isolation. A deep breath of fresh air after numerous stagnant days inside. A half-hour respite from caregiving with a bath or good book. A moment of gratitude for a simple meal, smile from a neighbor, or clean sheets.
We are in our own season of change and gratitude here at Takagi & Takagi: after 42 years of dedicated service in our family business, Verne has decided to retire at the end of this year (click here to access the full version of his announcement). His investment, insurance, and financial planning clients will be left in capable hands: his daughter Taea, working alongside him for over twelve years and leading their client meetings in the last three, will continue to have ample support from her husband Grant, cousin Megan, uncle David, and the rest of our close-knit Takagi team.
We are so grateful to be a constant presence in our clients' lives. We encourage you to plan for the future, while also taking control of the present. Would you spend the first ten minutes of today any differently, if you knew it would be your last? Would you change anything about your life right now if you knew no one would laugh at you, or that it wasn't too late to try? The beauty of autumn is the reminder—both hopeful and bittersweet—that nothing lasts forever. Good or bad, things change, season after season. It is still in our power to spend moments of our precious time—however fleeting they may be—focused on beauty and delight.
We are calling on anyone who wishes to help celebrate Verne's retirement—clients, neighbors, golf buddies, classmates, friends of the family, business associates, and more—to send your cards or congratulations to us by December 1st for compilation (mail physical cards to our office address below, Attn: Megan Takagi, or email notes for Verne to megan@takagiandtakagi.com by 12/1/20).