I won't be blogging on Thanksgiving unless something out of the ordinary occurs.
Tomorrow, my family will gather around the dinner table and say grace, holding hands as we say it. Here is what I’ll be thinking about:
I am thankful for a lot of things this year. Some things may surprise you, some may not.
First, I am thankful for the nurses and doctors at Children’s Memorial Hospital here in Chicago. Last April, when my son ended up in the Emergency Room and had to have surgery, he had some of the most outstanding doctors and nurses in world help him get better. They are simply incredible human beings. I don’t how someone could work everyday in an environment where they deal with sick or injured children and babies. It’s almost incomprehensible to me how they stay so positive. To me, they are saints – every single one of them. I wrote a letter to the Chicago Sun Times thanking the newspaper for financially supporting CMH. They published it on Father’s Day.
I am thankful for a beautiful wife to have as a best friend and partner. She is someone that, after seven years, still makes me a better man every day just for knowing her.
I will think about my friends who’ve stood by me throughout the years. They are more like extended family than friends. I am also thankful for having the best In-Laws a guy could have. My mother-in-law treats me like a son and a father-in-law that treats me like a best friend.
I will be thankful for the men and women in the military. These people chose a profession where the pay is low and the risks are high. I will be wondering what they are doing right at that moment. I will pray for their safety and success.
I will be thinking about and praying for the families of our fallen soldiers...especially, one in particular.
I am thankful for having the leadership that we have today in this country.
I am thankful to live in a country where I can voice my opinion (even via a blog) – thankful that I live in a free country.
But most of all, I am thankful to be alive. Almost 13 years ago I came very close to losing my life, and, since then, have been one of those kind of people that live like it’s your last day on earth. I am thankful for second chances, for every breath, for the love of a good woman, for my son, for life, for America, for God.
Have a great Thanksgiving and be sure to pray for our men and women serving their country in some remote or god-forsaken land. They need our support as much as we need them.