Being that today is Thanksgiving, the day when most of us take stock for all that we have to be grateful for, I can report that I do indeed have much to be thankful for. Yes, my handicap is still above 20, I still don’t make what I think I’m worth, and I’m not getting any younger, but I am a very lucky person.
In a year when many thousands in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and in some case their loved ones, we dodged a bullet here in southeast Texas. But for a turn here or there, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita would have levelled the Houston area. New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast may never be the same again, but many thousands of good people have worked hard to help those displaced by Katrina feel at home here in the Houston area. I am truly thankful that my little corner of Paradise is still standing. For awhile late this summer, we didn’t know if that would continue to be the case.
I am grateful to have Adam and Eric in my life. Though they are not my biological kin, I love them as if they were my own sons- and I’ve certainly been fortunate to be more involved in their lives than their father has been. Through them, I have learned lessons about love and patience I would never have learned otherwise. Now that they’re both in college, I’m excited to find out what the future holds for them.
I’m thankful for the gift of wisdom that age has produced…because frankly, to paraphrase Mick Jagger, it’s a drag getting old. There is something to be said for experience and perspective, though, and the only way I’ve found to acquire those things is living. Getting older might have it’s disadvantages, but it’s taken me 45 years to begin to feel something resembling comfortable in my own skin. I may as well enjoy it, no?
I am thankful for all of you who stop by TPRS on a regular basis. Though my writing is primarly for my own edification/therapy, it’s flattering to realize that some of y’all actually think I have something to say. TPRS gets visitors from around the world, and that’s something I still find both flattering and amazing. After four-plus years, it’s good to know that people are paying attention. I’m still having fun, so I’ll be hanging around for awhile, and perhaps someday I’ll figure out how to make a living at this.
I hope that today finds all of you safe, happy, and surrounded by loved ones, even in places where today is not a holiday. Without all y’all, this would be a very lonely place. Mazel Tov….
