True Thankfulness and Blessings...

Well, yesterday I wrote about my Thanksgiving adventure.  However, I left out one key part.  As we were walking to dinner on Thanksgiving evening last week, as we were about to cross the street, a gentlemen who appeared to be homeless, walked by us and with genuine warmth in his voice, a smile on his lips and pep in his step, wished us a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.  The lady next to me who was very well dressed, turned to me and said, "He is so thankful, and yet he has nothing."...  It hit me at that moment that, I, who have so much, am rarely if ever thankful enough for what I have been blessed with.  So, today I wanted to take a moment to reflect upon what I am thankful for.  Too often we breeze through life assuming that things are guaranteed and that bad stuff can never or will never happen to us.  It is a shame that we only have one day a year dedicated to the sole purpose of being thankful for our blessings. I hope to be more thankful and appreciative throughout the year.


I am thankful for my amazing family, my wonderful friends, my faith that guides me, my health, my sweet four-legged family members, the organizations that I am involved in and the good they allow me to do, all the things and events that didn't turn out the way I had hoped because they have led me to where I am now, our military who continue to stand between us and harm, my job, laughter, laffy taffy jokes, and the fact that I still get a kick out of silly putty and paddle balls... I can go on and on, but you get the drift.  Too often I forget to stop and just say a quick prayer of thanks, or to "pay-it-forward" and help someone who needs it.  Not trying to sound "preachy", but I hope that I can be more like that gentlemen I met briefly in Charleston.  He had nothing that I could see, yet his joy at Thanksgiving far exceeded mine.  Humbling, isn't it?

Have a great day!

Until We Meet Again.
JCP