A Thanksgiving to be thankful for

“You may never have proof of your importance but you are more important than you think. There are always those who couldn’t do without you. The rub is that you don’t always know who.”
-Robert Fulghum

As opposed to some of my previous blog entries, this one is a bit mellow and introspective. Let's just say it has been an interesting year. Or perhaps I have simply become more passive and less passionate. Time will tell.

The above quote comes from one of my favorite authors, and I was reading this passage about a month ago, and it stuck with me. Have I been important to someone this year? If so, who? Are there others whom I don't think of? Who has been important in my life? Have I let them know this?

Of course not. I would wager that most people do not have the time or the communication ability to let all in their lives know that they are important. It is nearly Thanksgiving now, which makes it a perfect time to do so. This entry is my "thank you" to all those in my life who are important to me. I challenge each of you reading this to find a way to make sure those who are important in your life know this importance.

First off, my wife. Marian is a wonderful person and I am very thankful every day that she is in my life. I have never met a more talented woman, and the fact that she can put up with me makes it even sweeter. The fact that she loves me brings a smile to my face. I don't always express just how much I appreciate her, and the little things that she does, but every night when I fall asleep I do so thinking just how lucky I truly am.

Next come my dogs. Tikka joined our family nearly 3 years ago, and a more faithful loving companion doesn't exist. Tikka is the epitome of a lab - full of energy, kindness, love, and the best natural hunting ability I've ever experienced. Tango was our Jack Russell Terrier, and sadly she passed away in July from complications due to pancreatic cancer. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her. She had personality, with a capital "P". Ok, scratch that. She had PERSONALITY, one hundred pounds of it stuffed in a 17 pound package. I regret that I didn't have the foresight to tell her how special and unique and what a huge part of my life she played. Somehow, I think she knows, just as I know she is chasing mice or balls or both up in heaven. I hope, when my time comes, I have the opportunity to join her once again. We introduced Prita to our family this year as well. She is a lab/terrier mix, and is the sweetest, gentlest dog I have met. She's like the reincarnation of Buddha in dog form. All she wants is to be loved, and reminds me that deep down, that's really all of us truly desire - to be loved.

My family also deserves my thankfulness, and obviously they are all important to me, each and every one. Let's start with my grands - My paternal grands passed away about a decade ago, but each remains an important part of my life. My grandfather gave me my easy-going happy-go-lucky, can't put me down attitude. Every year, when I hunt on "his" land (and those of you who knew Rodney will know what I mean) I feel him walking beside me, telling me his same stories and jokes that he repeated so often. My paternal grandmother showed me that sometimes some deviousness and manipulation can be a good thing, and was renowned for that, within and without the family. Lest I forget though or think that deviousness served some evil purpose, I am reminded by Grange supper signs and historical society events, just how much she did for the community.

My maternal grands are very much alive, and I am very thankful for that. Both of my grands are saints in my book. They taught me to love the outdoors, to hunt, to fish, and also to conserve our natural resources, for they are finite. My grandmother, of good Irish stock, taught me just how sweet a little stubbornness can be. My grandfather shows me every day the value of patience. At ages 78 and 84, respectively, each reminds me how precious each day is every time I visit. They certainly do not make people like that generation presently, and I am thankful that I have had the pleasure of knowing many individuals from the WWII generation.

My father also deserves mention. Many in my family harbor negative feelings towards him, right or wrong (after all, who am I to judge why another feels a particular way - I don't walk in their shoes), yet my father taught me the value of hard work and discipline, aspects which I still appreciate, and learned quite well. He also taught me how to grow things, and first stirred my passions for self-sufficiency. He & my step-mother have taught me that sometimes it is not the quantity of time spent together, but rather the quality.

I am also thankful for my mother. She & I don't always see eye to eye, but her compassion and kindness for others has rubbed off on me. I don't know how she manages to hold it all together, but she does it well, and with a smile on her face. Attributes I strive for. In addition, she has brought Mike (her significant other) back into my life, and I cherish the time I have spent with him, learning skills that others have not been able to teach me.

My older sister Andrea is someone I respect and admire a great deal. Here is a woman who somehow manages to pull off working full time (with an hour commute each way mind you), continuing her education as she can, and raising a wonderful child - all at the same time! Her energy, positive attitude, and overall Guru-like essence of calm amazes me. I marvel at the fact that I am related to all of my sisters, since I view them each as fantastic human beings, but the greatest awe is the one I hold for my older sister.

I honor my sister Alyssa because of what she has gone through in her life. It seems as though nothing has ever been easy for her. Life has been a series of Murphy attacks (from Murphy's Law fame), but yet she continues to persevere, raise two awesome kids, and is nearly done with her college degree. I am also absolutely amazed at the discipline and focus she has shown over the
last year or so dropping some weight (a lot - although I will not say how much - that's for her to disclose). She inspires me daily.

My youngest sister Bekah is another source of inspiration. Here is a woman who, at one point in her life, held two jobs AND went to college, earning her degree without a whole lot of help from anyone. She faced adversity in her life as well, but somehow managed to hold it all together, and is raising two wonderful kids of her own.

Speaking of kids - My 5 nieces and nephews collectively are wonderfully important to me. Each time I see them, I am reminded that one can never be too old to be a kid. Skylar reminds me that one should never be resigned to one's fate. Your response to an event will determine the outcome, not the event itself. Savannah's gift to me is knowing that a little fire can do everyone a bit of good, and toughness is something never to be taken lightly. I will never forget the light in Dylan's eyes when he is exposed to sciences, and I hope that I never outgrow my passion for learning. I am reminded of what a little roguish charm will get you when I look at Kimball. Quinn is simply the princess of the bunch, and she reminds me to always take what life will give you, love it, and make it your own.

Beyond my immediate family, I am thankful for having my extended family in my life. Between the Howes/Stanleys/Seameses/Coles/Roberts, we are a huge clan, and I love discovering new family members at every turn. Each of you are fascinating in your own right, and I have learned much from you all. We rock! :)

Now, I'm going to turn to friends. One major influence in my life has been my best friend, Wayne. I can never tell Wayne how much I have learned from him, and how much his friendship means to me. Wayne has always accepted me as I am, asked nothing from me, and given what he could. I am forever in debt to Wayne and his wife Peg for showing me how a marriage should work - perfectly imperfect as it may be. Wayne constantly amazes me with his strength of character, willpower and generosity. I do not believe a better friend could be found in the multiverse.

I would also like to thank some other friends as well - John, Matt, Clint Rob, Beth, Laura, Kevin and Paxton. John for keeping in touch when I forget and being the amazing person that he is, Matt for introducing me to Marian, Clint for showing me that enthusiasm for hunting is not lost, Rob, Beth, & Laura for showing me that family is not necessarily a matter of blood ties, Kevin for showing me that two individuals who are politically opposite can have a rational debate over an issue, and Paxton for showing me that all one needs to succeed in life is determination. You guys rock!!

I also need to shout out to my international friends - Nora, Steffi, Ivan, Ksenia, Janine, Petra, Beverly, and Tina. Each of you remind me that although the world is a large place, cross cultural exchange can be as simple as writing a letter, or commenting on a Facebook status. Thank you all for the lessons you've taught me about your country, your culture, and you personally. Though I have never met any of you in person, I am honored to call you my friends.

This brings me to work. While from a practical aspect my position does not allow me to become friends with my coworkers, on a daily basis I am continually amazed at what we accomplish. If you can step back for a minute, realize that what we do is, from a technical aspect, done in few shops in the world. In the WORLD. And we do it on a daily basis. It's routine. It is fantastic that our company has managed to collect talent better than professional sports teams. Each of you is a highly talented, intelligent, motivated individual, and it is wonderful from my aspect to sit back and watch my coworkers in action, and it is truly a pleasure and an honor to work with such a distinct and diverse group of individuals. It is also important to me that we all work for a company that has the RIGHT business perspective - excellent pay, benefits, the mindset to give back to the employees, and to the community.

In addition to my coworkers, I am blessed to work with individuals from other companies. As a top player in our market, we of course wish to deal with others who are at the top of theirs. Audra, Tracey, Sue, Marc, and Kelly - you guys are the best and do a great job of helping me meet the needs of "my" guys and gals. You are each a credit to your respective organizations. I especially need to credit Maria, who not only has offered excellent health coaching services to our company, but has also steered me back in right direction when I wander off the beaten path.

Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to my classmates - all of them throughout the years. I learned much about life from interacting with you, some good, and some bad. But each of you has taught me lessons, and those are more valuable than gold. I would not be the person I am today without your help, spirit, guidance, and camaraderie.

So..there are the important people in my life - what about yours?