Thankful

What am I thankful for this holiday season?

1. I am thankful that I have three healthy, talented and creative children to carry on my name into future generations. They have each made me proud in their own ways and I couldn't ask for a better set of youngsters to perpetuate the family name and genes into the future.
2. I am thankful for my parents and the upbringing they gave me. I was taught by example the difference between right and wrong and how to be a good person and a loving husband and father.
3. I am thankful that I have the love of a good woman who not only puts up with all my shit but also challenges me to be a better person than I was yesterday.
4. I am thankful that I have a steady job where I feel appreciated and the goal of the company is to help people. In this volatile climate I am fortunate to be celebrating my five-year anniversary at the same place of employment when many companies are downsizing.
5. I am thankful to have not only a family of my own that supports me but also a family of in-laws that have made me feel a welcomed member of the family from day one. I owe an enormous debt to the Saffords, as they have also helped shape who I am in these last 14 years. I would not be the person I am today were it not for their love and support.
6. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to send my children to a top-notch school where they are getting an education that will serve them well throughout their educational careers and put them in a category above most public school students.
7. I am thankful to be living in this wonderful (though sometimes frightening and occasionally terrifying) Information Age. Gaining new knowledge and insights has never been easier for any previous generation, and I feel fortunate to have entire libraries of knowledge at my fingertips whenever I want it.
8. I am thankful that there is so much left to learn, see and do in this life before I leave it behind. I grow more in my skin each day and I find that each year finds my outlook on life growing more and more positive. I am finally beginning to shed some of that angst that was so close to my heart for many years.
9. I am thankful for my ability to make others laugh. A sense of humor is important, and making others forget their worries, even for a moment, and blast out a healthy guffaw or two is a gift I cherish. Seriousness has its place, but it's good for the soul to be able to let your hair down now & then and to help others do the same.
10. I am thankful for the holidays such as the ones fast approaching, which bring family and friends together to celebrate their love and respect for one another while creating memories to not only last a lifetime but to pass down to future generations. Thanksgiving and Christmas are a wonderful way to end each year, in the company of the people you love, giving one another gifts and sharing warm & fuzzy feelings with one another.