TGI – Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving event with Bedell families

We have so much to be thankful for. In addition to our health, our families and friends, we are so thankful for this beautiful country that we call home. It’s easy to take it for granted. We recognize how fortunate we are.

As a business owner, I believe it is so important to give back to the community. We have been supporters of the Save Mount Diablo organization for a few years. It is run by a fantastic group of people who have one mission: to preserve the natural beauty of our land and promote conservation for generations to come.

On the way up, I met this guy.

This year we teamed up with Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School to help educate the students about the uniqueness of the Bay Area landscape and emphasize its importance in our daily lives. Our staff and the students hit the mountain to learn about the history and wildlife. We also helped restore indigenous plants and grasses.

Kids these days have such structured schedules and face many stresses in the classroom. Their free time is often soaked up on social media or playing video games. It seems to be a rarity for them to spend time in nature. It’s a huge risk for our beautiful home if the next generation doesn’t understand it and appreciate it. So we ditched our phones and tablets and headed to the muddy trails on the mountain with a sack lunch, a notebook and unbridled enthusiasm.

At the end of the day, we all split up for 45 minutes on a ridgeline to reflect on what we experienced and why we are thankful. It was such a healthy experience. The students were so impressive with their thoughts and attitudes. I was blown away by the creativity and depth of their journal writings. If these Bay Area 6th graders are a sample of our future generations, then we are in excellent shape.

We are investment professionals. There is no investment more important than our kids and grandkids. This experience made me proud to be a small business owner in the Bay Area, a parent and an American. For this, I am truly thankful.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Our office will be closed Thursday and Friday. We will be back, dark and early on Monday.

Mike

A special thank you to Al Johnson for these wonderful photos!

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