Well, today is Thanksgiving. A day during which we all are supposed to be thankful and remember all that we are thankful for. It is also a day for a big, televised parade, classic rival football match-ups, as well as being a day during which extreme gluttony not only occurs...it is also greatly encouraged.
Of course, we all know that Thanksgiving started many years ago when the pilgrim settlers from the "Old World" had a big feast with the Native Americans after the harvest season. I'm not sure what the Natives were thankful for back then...but I'm pretty sure that the Pilgrims were thankful to have not ended up at the wrong end of an atlatl flinging a spear. Not sure if they had a parade that year either...however, I'm pretty certain that the department store had not been invented yet. I suppose that year Santa had to sit on the old Macy's tree stump and convince small Quaker children they couldn't have a new Red Rider Bow&Arrow with the compass in the stock because they could shoot their eyes out...I'm sure he suggested something along the lines of suitable food and shelter instead. After the big feast, I'm sure everyone sat down together and in a sloth-like stupor watched the Redskins whip much ass...though I'm not sure there was actually a football involved at that time.
I digress...
Where was I?...Oh yeah...Today is Thanksgiving.
Today also happens to be my birthday.
It happens occasionally, my birthday coinciding with Thanksgiving...about once every 7 to 11 years. When I was a young kid, I remember thinking that my birthday was such an important day that my mother felt compelled to cook a feast fit for a king...
Boy was I disappointed the next year.
This year, I was rather insistent that Holly and the girls not make a big deal about my birthday. No cake. No celebrating.
It's not that I'm against having birthdays...or celebrating them. It's just that I didn't feel like making too big a deal of it in front of extended family during our hosting of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, which, by the way, was fantastic, even if I do say so myself!
So how did it go?
Well...there was singing...there was a lit candle in a small serving of dessert food...there was a gift...
And all after everyone had left. Just me, Holly, and our girls...celebrating my birthday in exactly the low-key way I wanted.
True, there is lots to be thankful for...
Me?...
I'm thankful for having a great place to live. Not only in regards to the house itself, but also in regards to the community in which I live.
I'm thankful for having a great job. I get to do what I love for a living.
I'm thankful for being able to pay my bills and still do what I love for a living.
I'm thankful for having a reliable vehicle to drive.
I'm thankful for being married to my long-time best friend, Holly. (My wife is awesome by the way!)
I'm thankful for having her and the girls in my life. (Our daughters are also awesome by the way!)
I'm thankful that they remembered me on my birthday...and in such a beautiful and perfect way.
-- Holly, Ashley, Allison...I love you!! --
What are you thankful for today?
Of course, we all know that Thanksgiving started many years ago when the pilgrim settlers from the "Old World" had a big feast with the Native Americans after the harvest season. I'm not sure what the Natives were thankful for back then...but I'm pretty sure that the Pilgrims were thankful to have not ended up at the wrong end of an atlatl flinging a spear. Not sure if they had a parade that year either...however, I'm pretty certain that the department store had not been invented yet. I suppose that year Santa had to sit on the old Macy's tree stump and convince small Quaker children they couldn't have a new Red Rider Bow&Arrow with the compass in the stock because they could shoot their eyes out...I'm sure he suggested something along the lines of suitable food and shelter instead. After the big feast, I'm sure everyone sat down together and in a sloth-like stupor watched the Redskins whip much ass...though I'm not sure there was actually a football involved at that time.
I digress...
Where was I?...Oh yeah...Today is Thanksgiving.
Today also happens to be my birthday.
It happens occasionally, my birthday coinciding with Thanksgiving...about once every 7 to 11 years. When I was a young kid, I remember thinking that my birthday was such an important day that my mother felt compelled to cook a feast fit for a king...
Boy was I disappointed the next year.
This year, I was rather insistent that Holly and the girls not make a big deal about my birthday. No cake. No celebrating.
It's not that I'm against having birthdays...or celebrating them. It's just that I didn't feel like making too big a deal of it in front of extended family during our hosting of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, which, by the way, was fantastic, even if I do say so myself!
So how did it go?
Well...there was singing...there was a lit candle in a small serving of dessert food...there was a gift...
And all after everyone had left. Just me, Holly, and our girls...celebrating my birthday in exactly the low-key way I wanted.
True, there is lots to be thankful for...
Me?...
I'm thankful for having a great place to live. Not only in regards to the house itself, but also in regards to the community in which I live.
I'm thankful for having a great job. I get to do what I love for a living.
I'm thankful for being able to pay my bills and still do what I love for a living.
I'm thankful for having a reliable vehicle to drive.
I'm thankful for being married to my long-time best friend, Holly. (My wife is awesome by the way!)
I'm thankful for having her and the girls in my life. (Our daughters are also awesome by the way!)
I'm thankful that they remembered me on my birthday...and in such a beautiful and perfect way.
-- Holly, Ashley, Allison...I love you!! --
What are you thankful for today?
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