Valentine’s Day is a special day for me, especially, because it marks the day I proposed to my wife. Although I didn’t propose until I was in my 30s, I actually fell in love with her much earlier than that — in the sixth grade. To this day, I still remember her blonde hair pulled back into two braids and the dress that she wore on the first day I met her all those years ago. She was reserved and quiet, but even then, she had a great inner strength about her. I thought she was an angel.
All throughout high school and into our 20s, we were good friends. It wasn’t until our 30s that we decided to take the leap from friendship to something more. On our first date, I was extremely nervous because our friendship was also on the line if it went south. That first evening, we went out to dinner and went dancing with another couple. We made it a double date so we could have two more people there to carry the conversation in case it didn’t go well.
But luckily, that first date did go well, and eventually, on Valentine’s Day, I asked her to marry me. When I would try to feel out how she would respond if I proposed, she would say, “You have to ask to find out!” So when I asked her, I had no idea if she would say yes or no — which made me extremely nervous. I was so relieved when she said yes! We had a small private ceremony and invited a few dozen people over to our home afterward for a low-key reception.
In all the years that I have known my wife, I have come to know her as an extremely strong person. She worked her way up to a high-end leadership position at Chrysler and spent 37 years with them before coming to work part time for us. Not only that, she raised our children and took care of all of her father’s medical appointments up until the time he passed away.
My wife is also extremely bright and has a keen intuitive sense that I admire. While finance is often black and white, in real life, things aren’t always so clear-cut. I appreciate that my wife balances me out and gives me an intuitive point of view when I need it. Through it all, we also feel extremely lucky to have the bright children that we do.
In many ways, finance is similar to marriage. They say that good communication is 80 percent listening and 20 percent talking, and that’s exactly what we do every day at Mattson Financial Services. With every client, we have a conversation to figure out their specific goals and to clarify that we are on the same page as them every step of the way.
For any relationship to be successful, commitment is equally important. Just as there are good days and bad days in marriage, there are also good days and bad days in your finances. But even though we have bad days, it’s having someone you can rely on to get you through them that is key.
At Mattson Financial Services, we are 100 percent committed to seeing you achieve your financial goals. But most importantly, we are here for you whenever you need us — good days and bad — so that you’ll be able to enjoy your life with the people you love in the best way possible.
– Gary Mattson