For All These Things…

 We interrupt the rather sketchy “normal schedule” of things to offer a few thanks.

I learned to savor the good things in life 11 years ago, when I had my stroke.  I would love to say that I live that lesson out every day of the year, every one of the 525,600 minutes that “Rent” reminds us makes up a year.  But that would be a fib.  There are days, weeks, and months when I start another round of “poor, poor pitiful me.”

Which is utterly idiotic.

I have a LOT to be thankful for.  So let’s take a look at just a few.

Courtesy of picjumbo

Always at the top of my list are my family.  I have an incredible wife, and an impossibly amazing “kid”.  (For those who remember my radio program, “Kid Phlipside” is now in their 30s).  They challenge me, support me, spoil me (rotten!), and put up with all my foolish, foolish ways.

After those two come my amazing brothers, cousins, aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces.  When I think of all the things we’ve done and accomplished, I’m awed.  We don’t always agree, but they are special, special, special to me.  In ways they may not even know.

Friends!  I got such amazing friends, I don’t even know where to start.  Or finish.  The things these people do makes me humbled that they keep even the tiniest space in their lives for me.  Once this stupid pandemic gets over, I need to visit all these wonderful people.  And give hugs (where they allow).

Confession time.  I am one of those people who play down their own gifts.  It took decades for me to accept a compliment without explaining why it really wasn’t that big a deal.  (Think about that: how insulting is it to tell someone that says you’ve done something good that “Well, there was really a lot wrong with it (which you’d know if you knew anything at all)).  I’ve been blessed with gifts.  As a storyteller and communicator.  I’m a pretty good writer, a fair to pretty good photographer, and a solid actor.  I’ve used those gifts on stage, on the radio, in front of congregations and classrooms.  When I practice I’m an eager but mediocre guitar player, but a pretty good singer.  I know I don’t always use my gifts to their fullest extent, but there’s nothing wrong with saying I have gifts.  I keep working at using them better.

I want to say thanks to any and all of you who stop by to read any of this stuff I share here.  This has been pretty patchy for a while.  Promise after promise has made about doing more.  I haven’t forgotten.  I hope you’ll stick around, maybe even join in a conversation with me.  You may have noticed that I love to talk.

Having mentioned my stroke above, I can not forget thanks for my health.  This has been a good year overall.  I’ve lost weight (yay!), got my blood glucose numbers headed in the right direction (yay!), put a thousand plus miles on my bicycle (YAY!), and come to grips with a diagnosis of depression.  By facing the problem, and accepting help, I’m in a much, much, much better place than I was a year ago.

But good or bad, here’s something to be truly thankful about:

I get to keep on trying.

Look for the things for which you can be thankful.

Peace.