Giving thanks

When I think about it, I live a charmed life. 

I say, "when I think about it," because I have to think about it, unfortunately not in terms of what I have, but what if I did not have those things.

That is to say, when I think or hear of those that have suffered a loss of something I take for granted, it is more in that moment that I treasure what I have.

This occurs on various scales.   I hear of people struggling financially, and I realized how blessed I am to have a wonderful job.  I hear or see of people in strained marriages or divorces, and it makes me appreciate more the wonderful friend and wife I have in Tracy.  I hear of people who have lost a son in a desert far away in the name of our country, and I want to grab my children and never let them go.  I learned of a person at my work who recently found out they have months to live due to cancer, and it makes my aspirations to be 10 seconds faster in a 5K seem trivial.

All to often in this blog, as a reflection of my life, I am wrapped up in the pursuit, the destination, what is over that next hill, rather than living in where I am now. 

I live an amazing, charmed, blessed and wonderful life.  I am thankful, grateful, but admittedly, I forget this all to often.  I often think about how to improve it, better it, increase its wonders.  I reconcile this by saying I do these things to honor how charmed it is, as squandering this gift would be the ultimate crime.

But it is good to take pause and look around and say "damn Zack, you are one lucky SOB."  And be humbled by all of it and be deeply appreciative and thankful.

I guess what I am saying is while I look around the table over the next couple of days, I am going to try to be humbled by the incredible magic that has been dealt to me and appreciate it at my very core ... and be thankful.