Give Thanks...Friends

 

Out of the blue a friend sent an e-mail to a gang of friends. I was fortunate to be included in the recipients. The message was wonderful, but then something better happened...each of us in turn responded and we added to the thread. I now have a digital copy of some incredible thoughts and emotions and most of all, memories.

Last month we were challenged to post things for which we were grateful and to use the hashtag: #GiveThanks when doing it. For a week, everything I posted included the hashtag. After a week of not posting #GiveThanks posts, I kind of missed doing it, so I'm going to include a #GiveThanks post at least once a week (unless I forget and post something else...). Today I wanted to give thanks for my friends.

To say I have had great friends in my life is an understatement. They have literally saved my life, at least, had they not been there, I wouldn't be where I am today. First, Jim sent the initial e-mail. He had been going over a journal he kept in high school and he felt moved (or inspired...) to reach out to that group of guys who made such a difference in his life. I felt I needed to respond and so I did. I explained how I mooched my way into that group and what a difference it made for me during a tough time.

A few days later, another e-mail came, then another. I think everyone has chimed in--I don't know if they did so because they felt obligated, or just wanted to let us all know how they felt, most likely the latter. They too shared experiences and memories and gave thanks for us friends.

I'm so glad Jim reached out. I think each of us wished we could get together to hang out, and if I had my way, it would be in my old house listening to Rush LPs on our Realistic HiFi, pumped through the ancient speakers my dad built.

But, the house has new owners, the HiFi is long gone, but I still have those incredible speakers. The biggest problem in us getting together is where we live. Several still reside along the Wasatch Front. I moved an hour away. One lives on the west cost and one in the middle of the country. Even without covid, it would be tough to get together. We did the next best thing--wrote messages to each other via e-mails.

When you go through a collective experience like school or the military or a mission, you bond with those people. It's one of the things I most like about being a human. Others may have empathy, but they'll never truly understand because they weren't there with the people that shared life during those times.

Tonight--and hopefully, every day for the rest of my life--I give thanks for my friends, past and present, here and no longer with us. Part of who I am is due to their influence...I hope they can live with that ;)

Give Thanks...Day 5--Work

I've mentioned on this blog before that there's opposition in all things. It's one of the few absolutely sure things I know. There's good, there's bad. There's up, there's down. Sad, happy. Big, small.

So, what does opposition have to do with work?

Well, it depends on how you see it.

This week I've taken up the challenge to post things for which I am grateful. Many of my friends and thousands of others have done the same. Most have listed the obvious things, family, health, pets, church, lessons learned. When I think of these things, there is one thing that--for me--allows most of us to enjoy the incredible things found in this life. 

Work.

I have been blessed with work. Since high school, except for my mission and a few months here and there, I've been employed. I've had jobs I've absolutely loved, being a stuntman and part of the Seance crew at Lagoon were a few. I've had jobs I absolutely hated, Feature Films for Families was one of them. I'm thankful that for the past almost twenty-five years I've been working for the same organization. I had a couple promotions, been passed up for many others. It took me a long time to realize, work wasn't about the promotions--it was about doing my best and finding joy in the journey.

Work can suck, and it usually does...even the best jobs have sucky times. But I feel humans must work. As a species, if we don't work, we die. Although it's not as pronounced now for many, it's still true. I have many friends who have done well in their careers. They post pictures on social media (or, they used to before this year...) of amazing places they've visited, amazing memories they've created with their families and loved ones. A major reason for this is because they work hard.

When I thought of seven things to write about this week, work wasn't one of them. But, when the idea hit me, it made more and more sense. Yes, I am grateful for work, because there is opposition in all things, work that sometimes sucks can result in good times.

Give Thanks...Day 2--Where I Live

 I grew up in an amazing time. My parent's generation lived during the Great Depression. I have cousins that were born before the WWI. I remember hearing my mother tell us of the time when she remembered  receiving electricity and running water in their Driggs, Idaho home.

I imagine, my kids and grandkids will talk about how their father/grandfather grew up during a time where there was no internet. I don't think growing up without running water in the house and being without the internet are the same thing, but maybe to some they are.

The point is, my parents were born in the United States of America. My kids and I were born here, too. I'm dedicating this week to things for which I am thankful. When it comes to places where one would like to be born, I feel I hit the jackpot. I know it's not a popular opinion for some, and I can respect that opinion. USA is by no means perfect, but to quote something I heard the other day, America may not be perfect, but the goal of the country is to become a more perfect union. 

In my fifty-four years, eleven months, and twenty-two days, I've been fed, clothed, sheltered. I've never felt unsafe. I've never felt unloved. Much of that is due to loving parents/friends who took upon themselves the responsibility to take care of those they loved. These facts astound me. Many people around the globe can say the same thing--we're not unique in this. I'm grateful to live in a land that gives people the opportunity to succeed, to thrive, to pursue their dreams. 

America is, and has always been, an experiment. It exists because the people living within its borders believe in this experiment. If they give up that dream, abandon its principles, the nation ceases to be. We are at a crossroads, a country experiencing an identity crisis. I am no fortune teller. I cannot predict how things will turn out. I do, however, have faith in the people of this country. They are, for the most part, good and wish to do good for themselves and others. This is my hope. This is my prayer. It is why I give thanks for the land in which I live, the land that I love.