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Thanks…

I am grateful for what I am and have. 
My thanksgiving is perpetual… 
O how I laugh when I think of my vague indefinite riches. 
No run on my bank can drain it 
for my wealth is not possession but enjoyment.

– Henry David Thoreau

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

I’m grateful for a lot of things and I’m often reminded of how very simple things in life provide great feelings of wonder and amazement of how fortunate I am to live this life.

  • I’m thankful for the great food I eat every day – eggs from happy chickens, tasty tomatoes, amazing avocados, fresh meat from animals who had some space to roam, bright plants, and sinister chocolate.
  • I’m thankful for hot water and the reminder from a hurricane that the simple joys are not guaranteed.
  • I’m thankful for my beautiful drive to work, passing the swans, chickens, sheep, mini-donkeys, and horses amidst the storybook houses and landscapes in County County.
  • I’m thankful for the music that gives me a jolt of energy as I start my day – particularly the Bruce and Eddie Vedder songs that wake up my voice and only pierce my ears.
  • I’m thankful for my team at work.  I’m lucky to work with very bright, talented individuals with a passion for what they do.  I cherish the days working with such a fantastic group of people pulled together to build something great.
  • I’m thankful for our R&D management team.  I love the diversity in thought in the group, the willingness to support each other, and the focus on constantly improving.  For me personally, I’m particularly grateful to learn from some experienced and successful colleagues and mentors.
  • I’m thankful for our customers, who want to provide high-quality, affordable healthcare to their populations.  They’re passionate about that cause and keep our teams focused on that ultimate end goal.  I think the solutions we’ve delivered and our building will help them evolve their care forward.
  • I’m thankful for tea that provides a boost to my day, warming me up when I need some heat and cooling me down when I’m overheating.
  • I’m thankful for my gyms, CrossFit Inspire and the Upper Darby  Gym.  Both places challenge me each in their own way.  CrossFit has spurred my learning of olympic lifts and basic gymnastics.  The diversity in challenges keeps me focused on improving holistically.  Upper Darby is a constant in my life where I can go to continue building the greatest skills I’ve developed, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
  • I’m thankful for my students for their willingness to try new things and be humble by relearning already learned techniques. I love to see the growth in them through their training.
  • I’m thankful for good books.
  • I’m thankful for the shelter over my head that keeps me warm at night and my bed that squeaks.
  • I’m thankful for my wife.  She inspires me with her work ethic and focus on getting things done.  She complements me very well by handling much of what I lack.  She’s always beautiful and a great conversationalist.  She’s smart.
  • I’m thankful for Paddy.  He’s always happy and reminds me that the simple joys in life are to be appreciated – chicken, dog brethren, sprints, a bone.
  • I’m thankful for my sister for her ability to pull us together as a family.  I’m thankful that she married a strong husband and now has the happiest baby I’ve ever seen.
  • I’m thankful for my brother for his great intellect, sharp sense of humor, and ability to focus and master whatever he decides to do.
  • I’m thankful for parents and the lessons they taught me.  They will live on for at least a generation, probably more, since much of them has been transferred to us.  We’re each unique in our own way, but it’s great to see their special qualities peak out in one of us.

I’m thankful for a lot and I could go on an on ad infinitum, but I feel good and I’m grateful for that.

 

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; 
they are the charming gardeners 
who make our souls blossom.

– Marcel Proust