Thankful For... 20051122

I got a list similar to this ... so I thought I would share what I am thankful for this holiday season.. as we begin to embark on a month of gluttony and consumerist based consumption in the name of celebrating friends family and (for people of Christian-rooted faith) the birth of Christ.

1.)  Freedom

2.)  Friends -- those people that make my life bearable and actually get me for who I am as opposed to what people may want me to be.

3.)  Family .. both the living and those passed on for making me who I am.

4.)  Good food... somethings are worth waiting for... And some are worth paying for

5.)  Life

6.)  Shelter and the knowledge that I work daily to give this world a better built environment

7.)  Opportunities...  Both professionally and personally..  The opportunities granted to me have been tremendous and I thank everyone and everything for making that possible.

8.)  Those protecting our Freedom and and Lives... The EMTs, the Polic, the Firemen, the Troops... Though I may not stand fighting beside them or in support of why they are there.. I will always support them.

9.)  Knowledge.  The opportunity to learn

10.)  Media and electronic communication.  Something we take for granted anymore... But in the not too distant past, everything was based on the telegraph, telephone and snail mail... Thank you, Al Gore, for the Internet.. :-P

11.)  Love.  As much as I act like a curmudgeon regarding this subject.. it is something that I seek.

12.)  Good laughs... Nothing can break an awkward moment like a good joke.

13.) Holidays that are about more than a day off of work... allowing the melting of extended families to come together once or twice a year.

14.)  Tradition.   The ability to ground one's self to one's roots through yearly activities and celebrations and foods.

15.) Culture.  Knowing where you came from and where others come from and learning from it all to enrich your own personal life.

16.)  Nature.  For allowing me a place to escape from technology and actually enjoy solitude.

17.)  Good live music.

18.)  My job and my employer... Who would have thought 3.5 years ago that I would still be working at the same place??

19.) Family 2- My Mother... The one that brought me into this world and the one that taught me so many valuable life lessons both as a child and as an adult.

20.)  Family 3- My father for having the ability to take me out of this world (LOL.. kidding!) as well as teaching me the same as my mother... and showing me the value in knowing how to cook and teaching me those recipes for which there are no written lists or instructions...