Thanksgiving 2023

This year I have a lot to be thankful for, not least of all my health and for the most part all those around me are healthy. All the hustle and bustle seems important until someone is ill and that’s where real life begins, not when when people are relaxing and enjoying themselves, but when it hits the fans. Stressors reveal who we truly are, I’ve always been happy that under pressure I act the way I thought I would. I’m thinking now about a time our convoy was hit by an IED, there is protocol to follow and that’s what I did. Later I confirmed with my gunner that my actions were justified. I’m thankful to not have to deal with that mess anymore and that my gunner is also doing well in life, he continues to grow and gives me someone to compete against though indirectly. I’m thankful for the people I’ve been privileged enough to be around, they’ve shown me there’s more going on than my little world and provided companionship along the ride. Everyday I’m thankful for my daughter and that she’s doing well, growing everyday. She’s been the biggest competition of my life, there are no more days off. As she gets bigger the weight I carry around the house increases, I would not be as strong as I am today without her. I’m thankful for all the delicious foods we’ll have today and that I’ve been able to provide my guests, having something essential to life no longer worry me is a gift. Receiving the same gifts everyday like health and food allow them to seem like background noise, but without them everything else I’ve built doesn’t stand. I’m thankful for the life I live and will do my best to honor it.