Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It comes in November of course. Then for me it also comes in March on my birthday - which is today. This time next year I'll be at the half century mark. So still another year to enjoy my 40's haha. Meteorologically speaking - March 15 is a weird or moody day in our area. I've seen it be 90 and summery beautiful sunshine, Blizzard like with 18" or snow, or like today - snow covered, blustery, with windchills in the teens! You never know what you'll get. Back to Thanksgiving. Every year on my birthday I spend time thinking about what I'm thankful for and what it means to me. This evening I went to the park to check on things after the winter storm and got to see another really scenic sunset. Unfortunately I wish it was a warm one like last week instead of a winter wonderland! But nonetheless it was beautiful and for that I'm thankful. A few of the other things I realize I'm thankful for:
Family - My wife, daughter, sons, brother, in-laws, and other relative near and far. It is truly amazing to have such wonderful people in my life. Everyone accepts each other for who they are and care for each other. The old saying goes you can pick your friends but not your relatives. Well if I COULD pick my relatives I'd pick the exact same ones I already have.
Friends - Lucky doesn't begin to describe how I feel. I have the best friends in the world. Obviously a few are close but I'm thankful for each one I have. Childhood friends, classmates, workplace, community, and more. While we're at it let's be thankful for social media. 10 years ago I never thought I'd say that! But truthfully it is a real blessing. I've met many new and inspiring friends via social media.
My career - Or my "real" job. I'm fortunate to have worked with many folks over many years. A lot of them are really quality people and make doing a sometimes thankless job easier. And in my line of work I'm able to be flexible enough to set my own schedule 90% of the time. This enables me to pursue the things that I love like coaching our young people and volunteering as President of our local Community baseball program. I absolutely am thankful for 26+ years to be able to work the same job.
Baseball - Everything about it. Major league, college, my own sons playing, coaching my boys, coaching teams still today, working my butt off year round (along with many other wonderful people), and the list goes on. This has made me feel like I'm able to give back to the community we live in and love. The other benefit is seeing the growth and progression of so many young boys (and a few girls too) over the years. Having the ability and privilege to do this is an amazing feeling. And the fact that we get to touch and help shape the lives of our future generations in a positive manner is such an honor. So so thankful for this part of my life.
The Beach - A couple times a year we're fortunate enough to get to spend a week in North Carolina doing exactly nothing. Nothing meaning relaxing at the beach and enjoying the beauty of everything. But also it's a time that brings my immediate family (just the 5 of us) together for a week. With everyone being so busy it's a chance to just be together. Nothing special. We just hang out and unwind. It's special for so many reasons and really is almost like recharging the batteries. I always feel great after those weeks. And this year I hope to be able to get some better pictures and video to share.
Health - Not a day goes by that I don't count my blessings. I'm not a fit athletic person by any stretch of the imagination. Am I active? Yeah pretty much so with all I do. But I have sadly lost classmates, family, and friends (some so very young) way too soon because of health issues. It's never guaranteed so I try not to take it for granted. I'm the kind of person who almost never goes to a doctor - not even for well checkups or physicals. If I'm really sick and need to be seen I bite the bullet and go. Otherwise? I always say it's like getting your car serviced. Go in for an oil change and you need wiper blades and an air filter. As long as I feel good I'm good. I know this isn't a very mainstream way of thinking but it's just the person I am.
Ok - so that's just a few things I thought about on my 49th birthday. Honestly I think of these most days but I feel today is a great day to really remember them all. I'm totally blown away by the texts, private messages, calls, and social media posts (over 100 wow) that I received. For someone to take time out of their day to wish you well and a Happy Birthday.... that just means so much to me. Words can't describe how thankful that makes me feel. As always thank you for reading and feel free to follow my Instagram or Facebook pages.
