27 May The numbers are in your hands
Helping out a neighbour only one morning – the farmer had bulls to load onto a stock truck, and I minded 3 kids as they woke up and get ready for the day ahead. In amongst some art activities (pictures for Mum who was coming home that day) was this picture. Artwork by Teddy Gaddum, aged 6. With no prompting Teddy added the numbers to his drawing. It got me thinking…
I did not excel at high school, and those were not the best years of my life either! I was a diligent student, always did my homework, and achieved average results. I received a B for School Certificate Mathematics suggesting that numbers were not really my thing. A Matric year while an exchange student in South Africa yielded similar results.
Not until studying as an adult student with Massey University did the realisation happen that I was good with numbers. Reluctantly doing a Statistics paper the lights went on when a fabulous tutor (ex-High School Maths teacher) taught things in 2-4 different ways. Solving maths problems is sequential – you can’t complete step 4 if you’re stuck on step 2! I scored an ‘A’ for that paper, and it was upwards from there! I have kept a 2005 letter from Massey saying I was one of 2 to achieve top marks – out of a class of 800! – for my first ever accounting paper. One of the reasons for commencing tertiary studies was to improve my self esteem after leaving a damaging marriage. Turns out this has been a successful exercise!
Now I work with clients to help manage and understand their accounts, along with preparing and filing their tax returns as their accountant. This involves a lot of checks and balances and attention to detail to ensure compliance is achieved. It is an absolute privilege to work with wonderful clients – and help support and upskill them – these client numbers are in my hands! Teddy’s picture captured this so well and is a lovely reminder for me of what I love to do.
Numbers have a way of weaving themselves into the fabric of our lives—not just in equations and calculations, but in the connections we make, the challenges we overcome, and the lessons we learn along the way. What once felt like an obstacle became an opportunity, a journey of self-discovery that led to meaningful work and invaluable relationships. Teddy’s simple yet profound artwork serves as a reminder that sometimes, the very things we doubt about ourselves are the ones that hold the most potential.
“We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.” — Max De Pree
American businessman, author, and former CEO (deceased)