From Michelle:
During this different year, some things remained the same. Our friends and clients welcomed new babies into the world. Young adults graduated school and university. Our family and our clients lost others to both expected and unexpected death. One of our clients, Toni Powell, storyteller, author and workplace cultural transformer, speaks to us of gratitude and kindness as the fuel and strength of who we all are and who we can be. Each day we are grateful for being here in Arabon, being able to help each other and our clients.
So, from the depths of my heart, I wish to say thank you for being a member of the Arabon family. Stay strong, agile and indeed, grateful.
From Robert:
As we approach the end of December, I often find myself reflecting on the year that has been. For me personally, this year really feels like it started just after Father’s Day 2019. That Sunday, I had been camping in the Gold Coast hinterlands with my wife Tanya and two young children Archie and Charlotte. We decided to have lunch up at the Binna Burra Tea House then spend a few hours playing in the lodge’s playground. By the following Sunday morning, that playground, along with most of the lodge, had been destroyed in the devastating bushfires that swept the country.
By the time Summer was coming to an end we were feeling quite run down emotionally and physically, as we spent a significant amount of energy supporting clients impacted by the bush fires. When the reports of a new virus spreading around the world turned evolved into news of a global pandemic and calls for emergency lock downs, we started preparing ourselves for what was next.
Looking back now from the relative safety of our “new normal” is a surreal experience. I doubt many of us were prepared for the speed and magnitude of the lockdowns, even after hearing about the experience across parts of Asia and Europe. I definitely wasn’t prepared for the speed of government response and stimulus. I’ve I told many people now it felt like every new press conference was as big as the annual budget night. But what has inspired me the most was the courage, resilience and adaptability shown by all our clients, our accounting team, and the community at large.
I want to thank all the staff at Arabon this year for the tireless efforts they put in, especially in those first few crazy months. I also want to thank all our clients for reminding us why we love this job so much – because when we do our job well, we can make a real difference in your life.
I hope you will be spending Christmas with your loved ones. However, if you know someone who is alone this Christmas, think about reaching out and give them the gift of conversation this Christmas. I would like to leave you with this Christmas message from RUOK?
