My Thankful Life
On the doorstep of my 40th year of life, I think it is time I make a list of things for which I am grateful. Oh, and it happens to be Thanksgiving, so this kind of makes sense timing-wise. This list is by no means exhaustive nor is it particularly unique. I’m sure we all share so many of the same gratitudes.
Regardless, I think the act of creating this list is a really healthy, life-affirming and positive thing to do. It reminds us to live with thankfulness and to be grateful for all of the good things in our lives. Nothing is perfect, and you can either choose to spend your time and energy on thinking about that or you can bask in the glory of the excellentness (I’m almost positive that’s a word) that you have in your life. Okay, so without further adieu, here is my list of 10 gratitudes:
1. I don’t know exactly who or what created me (other than my parents) and gave me breath or how that came about or how it all started or why or how long it will last, but I’m really happy to be alive. We are all an incredible miracle, whether by chance or design. Yes, this is a big one. Without it, the rest of my list really couldn’t follow.
2. Speaking of miracles, my children have unlocked a space in my heart that I did not know existed before they came around. Good parenting is absurdly difficult ,and my mistakes are plenty, and my kids drive me bonkers (one of Tyler’s favorite words) sometimes, but it is by far the most rewarding/thrilling/happy/love-inducing/centering/humbling/wonderful experience of my life. Nothing will ever change that. Ever.
3. I am really grateful for coffee. Okay, it may seem shallow that it made my top-ten list. But I really like coffee. By the way, I don’t like watery coffee.
Camp – Okay, this is a pretty big one too, so I think I’ll break it up into three parts:
4. I am so grateful to be living my dream. I have wanted to be in camping since I was 12 years-old, and to have achieved this dream is mind-boggling to me still. I used to practice law. I liked it. I didn’t love it. And it wasn’t fulfilling something for me. Camp does that for me. Not everyone is able to make a living doing something that they love, so I try to appreciate this fact every day, even when things are super busy or stressful or challenging. I hope you have found your passion and are living it too. If not, don’t give up on making it happen.
5. I am so grateful to be living my dream at Windsor Mountain. To be a part of something that throws off so much goodness to the universe is amazing. Our community is so vibrant and full of life and positivity and creativity. I witness acts of kindness every day during the summer that I rarely see outside of the bubble. This place has changed me for the better in many ways, as I know it has changed many of you.
6. I sometimes sound like a broken record on this one, but it is worth repeating (unlike a broken record). Windsor Mountain is nothing without our staff. We have the privilege of being quite selective in our staff hiring, and every year we attract talented, warm, kind, positive, dedicated, energetic and creative men and women to care for children. They are the magic of Windsor Mountain, and Kerry and I are eternally grateful for the tireless efforts of our staff. They inspire me every day, and I would (and do) trust them with my own children.
7. I would not be who I am today without the love and support of my family and friends. At the end of the day (figuratively), the only thing in life that really matters is this.
8. I am grateful for the changing seasons. I think they help me to understand better the passage of time and to never forget that time is fleeting and nothing stays the same forever. Oh, and I really love massive snowstorms.
9. I am grateful for my mistakes. Thankfully, none of them have been fatal (neither literally nor figuratively), and so they have helped me to learn how to do better. To me, this really is the best (and perhaps only) way to learn. I will always try to become a better person, even when the progress is slow-going. It is a life-long pursuit, and the juice is worth the squeeze.
10. Kerry. She is my faithful partner who followed me into the unknown. I could not imagine a better friend, wife, co-worker, mom, sound-board, reality-check, confidence-boost and overall life companion than she. I am one lucky dude.
Wishing you all a day (and life) filled with gratitude, love and a feeling of fulfillment at the place that your journey has taken you thus far. Happy Thanksgiving.