This morning finds me looking out a hotel window at an unfamilar landscape. I’m (thankfully) nearing the end of my week in Tampa, FL, on a business trip that I really don’t even need to be on. It’s a career thing, so I’m taking one for the team, and besides, being here isn’t a bad thing. It’s just not where I’d choose to be this week.
Being away from home does give me a chance to think about what I’ve left behind, even if only for a few days…and perspective can be a good thing. It’s amazing the little things that you miss- getting out of bed and tripping over two dogs before I can turn on a light, She Who Endures My Myriad Eccentricities snoring, the cats waiting patiently for me to feed them on the deck. Waking up in a strange hotel room several hundred miles from home just isn’t an effective substitute for the familiar and the comfortable.
One of the things this week has shown me is what a truly blessed individual I am. I have a comfortable home, a wife who loves me, and two stepsons I couldn’t be prouder of if they were my own offspring. After an adulthood that hasn’t exactly been a straight line, I’ve been blessed with a family that has accepted me and loved me for who I am. I’d never thought that I at any point in my life would have a home life that would be important to me and would provide me with a sense of belonging to something bigger than myself. That I’ve found that is truly an amazing and wonderful thing.
If nothing else, I owe Susan, Adam, and Eric a healthy debt of gratitude for taking me in and allowing me to become a part of something very special. Being a stepfather is not an easy undertaking, and had they been so inclined, Adam and Eric could have made my life a living Hell. Instead, they welcomed me to the family, and have never been anything less than loving and supportive. Sure, there were growing pains while we all got used to one another, but I’ve never regretted becoming a part of the family they created. I couldn’t be prouder of, nor could I imagine loving them anymore, if they were my own offspring. They’ve turned into amazing young men, and I’ve been blessed to have been able to watch them grow into who they’ve become.
Yes, I’m a very, very fortunate man, and I can’t wait to get back home, because I know that something (and someone) very special is waiting there for me.
