One man’s voice Thoughts, rants and commentary from a husband, father of five and professional web geek

Happy Thanksgiving

It's hard to believe that we are almost done with the first decade of our century. Even more strange to me is that we are within a month or so of 2009 coming to an end as a year. If I didn't know better I'd say someone pushed the fast forward button on life toward the beginning of February and left it there until yesterday. And as I take a moment to look back on the year, and especially the day we are celebrating today, I can't help but begin to think about some of the things I am thankful for.

Being thankful is not something that is reserved for one day a year in my house. In fact, it is something that I have tried to instill in my family through nightly "thankfuls" and through regular giving of thanks. It is a lifestyle that I think everyone should live lest we become bitter, cynical and "victimized" by circumstance. So for me and my house it is rather easy to recognize those things that I can be thankful for.

For example, I woke up early this morning and got out of bed to make a pot of coffee for my wife and I, and took a moment for myself to read my email, write a little in my blog and warm my legs with a little red fleece blanket. I was watching my dog sleep for a little while until my daughter Adriannah woke up, joined me in the living room, greeted me with a hug and kiss and began to watch TV.

In just the first few minutes of the day today I am thankful for:

• A beautiful, smart, funny, warm, loving wife
• An awesome tribe of beautiful, smart, talented children
• Having a home for my family
• Everyone in my family having a bed to sleep in
• Running water
• Coffee
• Cups to drink our coffee from
• Having a working computer
• The internet
• Email
• Warm blankets
• Wonderful, smart, loving, caring, beautiful children that love me
• Hugs and kisses
• A great dog
• A TV
• Electicity

Now of course these are more of the tangible variety of thankfuls. Still, these are all things I am thankful for just within the first few minutes of my day. There are so many other things to be thankful that extend beyond the tangible, like:

• Not having to go to work today
• Sharing today with family and friends
• Having the freedom and liberty that comes from living in the United States of America
• Being protected both at home and abroad by the most awesome of protectors ever, the US military
• Worshiping how I want, when I want and with whom I want
• The freedom and ability to have an opinion, and voice that opinion

The abundance of thankfuls in my life always seem to extend beyond the limits of one day a year. And while I am thankful for today and what it represents, I would offer this challenge to you: For the next 365 days, until next Thanksgiving day, see if you can find one thing every day to be thankful for and share that thankfulness with someone.

If you are anything like me, no matter how heavy life gets on you, you will always have something to be thankful for. May God bless you abundantly this day and all the days of your life.