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Thursday, November 26, 2015

Giving Thanks, 2015


I once read an interview with Roger Waters from Pink Floyd, where here talked about how he enjoyed writing songs that had lists in them (think Brain Damage from the Dark Side of the Moon), which makes me feel better about the number of list postings I end up publishing.  I'd like to say "great minds think alike", but I know better.

Anyway, Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on things, so reflect I will.  Using a list.



I am thankful for my beautiful wife, Ms Rivers.  As I have often noted, I can think of no better argument for the existence of a Higher Power in the universe than the fact that she came into my life at just the right time.


I am thankful for my three wonderful daughters.  Whether they are teaching needy children, researching bacteria in primate feces or planning on a career centered on helping others, each makes me so very proud.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be a stepfather to two wonderful young men.  I hope I can make their journey into adulthood just a little bit better.

I am thankful that all of my siblings are alive.

I am thankful for the very close to half million visits to this blog over the years.

I am thankful to my late mother, Doris Albert, for instilling in me a desire to always keep learning.  That's the one thing I think I do very well.


I am thankful for the career that my employer has afforded me for over a quarter century and for all the people I have worked with over the years.  Who I am is a direct result of trust my employer has had in me and the wisdom that has been imparted to me from others.

I am thankful for the authors that have taught me important things over my lifetime to date.  Every book has been a brick in the structure of who I am.

I am thankful for the restorative power of music in my life, as every point in my life has had its own soundtrack.  While I have zero musical abilities myself, I am fortunate to have ears that work reasonably well.

Lastly, I am thankful for the mistakes I've made in life.  Why?  Well first, none have (obviously) been fatal, which is a very good thing.  Second, it's in falling down that we all learn the value of getting up; simply being up all the time teaches virtually nothing.  






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