Giving Thanks...

Man is wired to be ungrateful...
Our natural tendency is to consider first and foremost the "burden" we are forced to bear, and the joy we are being "denied." God bless a holiday that reminds us to consider and REMEMBER that things are pretty good. Here is my hodge podge of gratefulness:

If the world was a village of one hundred people... I would be the most well off in the village.... (because I have food, sanitation, and an education)... thats a hard one to blow off...

I won't be experiencing one of the highlights of my year this November: Thanksgiving in Sun Valley with family... but I also won't have to make a middle of the night, white knuckle, nine hour drive either...

I live in a comfortable house in a quite and safe neighborhood.

My trip to work is approximately 12 minutes

My wife puts up with all sorts of my garbage

My wife enjoys making unbelievably delicious food

I have a job that provides my family a sustainable income and health insurance

I am healthy in every critical way

God blessed me with a sense of self at a very young and critical age, which may very well have saved my life through teenage years fraught with insecurity and distraction

I have two parents who made outstanding efforts to love and guide me. Its amazing how this becomes so much clearer as you mature.

I have Public Television which is a saving grace in modern media (2 OPB stations now)

I have the rare CONVENIENCE of being able to worry about things other than safety, food and shelter.

I recently received a forward with a long list of advice from a 93 year old... it fits in well with all of this. Here are my favorites:
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...
Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
Its better to be kind than right
Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
Over prepare, then go with the flow.
No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
Frame every so-called disaster with these words. 'In five years, will this matter?'
What other people think of you is none of your business.
Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
The best is yet to come.
Yield.

Happy Thanksgiving

Jake