Giving Thanks

We all have reasons to be thankful.  All of us.  I get it though...at times things become difficult and the pressures mount; things don't work out for us, and the future looks more cloudy than clear.  I've been there, by the way, in more ways than I care to mention in a posting about gratitude.  However, while we live and breathe there is always a reason to stop, reflect, and be thankful for the precious life we have been given.

Here are a few things I am thankful for in my life.

The gift of being a father.  

Anyone who meets me for the first time knows that it takes exactly zero encouragement to get me to talk about how proud I am of my daughters, and how blessed I am to have two wonderful stepsons.  If I were to die tomorrow, the very best thing anyone could say about me was that "Steve was a good Dad", and that would be enough.

The gift of my wife.

My wife, also known in these posts as "Ms. Rivers" literally saved my life.  Just when it seemed that almost everything in my life was falling apart, when I was at my very lowest, she was there to help pick up the pieces and help me build a brand new life.  She was also my Master's degree research paper editor, is my fashion consultant, health advisor, and person who makes me optimistic about the future.

The gift of my family.

I value family now more than I ever have in the past.  That's not to say I am actually good at things like staying in touch, but I am trying to do better.  The fact that I was able to spend time with my adopted-through-marriage family this past summer is just an example of how important and enriching family connections can be for all of us.  

The gift of friendship.

I am not an out-going kind of person, and while I've learned professionally to talk to just about anyone, I don't have a ton of people I would call actual "friends".  Those who I do consider my friend though are important to me, and they help me in ways they probably don't understand.  I hope I return the favor every once in a while as well.

The gift of my health.

Look, when the personal odometer starts to get extra mileage on it, well, some parts start to wear.  That's as true for cars as it is for me, as it is everyone else.  I'm lucky though in that there is nothing I am facing with my health that isn't treatable, and there is nothing that limits what I can do in my life.  Thank you to all of the professionals that help me stay healthy, both physically and mentally.

The gift of learning.

I am thankful that I am still inquisitive, that I am still learning new things, that I still find things in the world to explore.  There is never an excuse for me to be bored.

I can also add, as a final note of sort, the gift of laughter.

"As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly..."

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.