My Thankful List

My Thankful List

In this traditional season of Thanksgiving, I’ve been thinking about how thankful I am for my Beautiful Wife.  Then the thought occurred to me that in all my years of researching and studying the lives of my ancestors, I’ve read very little of them recounting what they were thankful for.  To me, their “Thankful Lists” would be fascinating to read. 

Verbally, my parents freely express to me their gratitude for their many blessings.  And my sister, known in Spaces as Mitchowl, makes her “Thankful List” a regular monthly feature on her space.  So I thought it was time that I take a stab at making a thankful list.

I don’t know if it were how the stars were aligned back in September of 1981, or if Cupid was on vacation in Southeastern Idaho when his bow slipped and the arrow struck an unsuspecting Ricks College coed, or what… Actually I do know, it was a wonderful, gracious, gift… straight from God to me.  Nothing else could have enamored such a beautiful, fabulous, dame, to the all time socially klutzy guy.  But I am ever so thankful that it happened.  I’ve been continually thankful for this blessing for over 26 years now.

My childhood home was a charmed setting for my growing years.  Our big family living on our small farm, near our small town, has left me with big wonderful memories and higher values.  I am thankful for the life I lived as a child.  I could write volumes of stories of the character building experiences I learned in my youth.  I am also thankful that our small town college brought a Beautiful Redhead from Southern California into my life.   

I am thankful for the nine stunning children that my Beautiful Wife gave me.  Each one, bright, unique, talented, with a touch of my Beautiful Wife radiating from them.  The next generation, now two strong, have shown me that being a grandpa is also a wonderful experience.  Having my Beautiful Wife beside me as the Grandma makes it even better… our two little girls really, really love their Beautiful Grandma.  I rate pretty high just by association. 

Over the years, I have always had good enough work opportunities to support my growing family.  Even though it wasn’t always exactly what I loved doing, I am very thankful that I’ve always had work and the associated income to provide for my family.  But I am afraid that my work has come home with me too much, and even worse, I have brought my home to the work too much.  My Beautiful Wife has had to deal with many of my work problems and many times she has had to live where she didn’t want to live, because of my work.  I am thankful that she has been willing to do this for me… for us… for our family.  She is as Beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. 

I have taken good health for granted for most of my life.  Even today, I can work guys half my age into the ground with no problem.  Most of them have no idea that I’m twice as old as they are.  But my secret to such good health and strength is who’s been taking such good care of me with her always healthy lifestyle for the last quarter century.  I am thankful for my Beautiful Wife.

Music… I love all kinds of music (since rap isn’t really music) I even learned to love country when Sammy Kershaw came out with his song, “She don’t know she’s beautiful” – guess who I think of when that song is playing?

I’m thankful for today’s communication.  With my cell phone, I can talk to my parents daily no matter where I am.  Emails keep me in touch with friends and family and the internet connects me to family I am meeting all over the world.  Someday I might even try texting so I can talk to my teenaged daughters again.  My favorite communication blessing lately is my Beautiful Wife’s space.  When I am away at work, I am her most faithful visitor to read her diary style entries, watch her video blogs, and to look at her beautiful pictures. 

Food… no one likes, or is as thankful for good food as I am.  But then no one gets to eat my Beautiful Wife’s cooking as I do.

Home… I’ve lived in many, many houses in the past.  No matter what the circumstances, my Beautiful Wife has made each one a home, and a place I wanted to be.  But our new home is more special to me because it is where she wants to live.  I am very thankful for it. 

This essay style list is very incomplete but already too long.  Next time I’ll try to just do a simple list like my sister Mitchowl does.  Did I mention that I am thankful for my Beautiful Wife?