Giving Thanks in the Wind ...

This morning I put on a double layer of clothes complete with my longjohns, and heaed out on a bike ride ... I did an hour and 3/4's on the bike - the majority of it into the teeth of a cold harsh wind out of the west ...

I still can't quite figure out how it kept blowing in my face, even WHEN I changed direction!!??

... along the way, I had time to think about what it is that I am thankful for this weekend ... I'd like to share some of my random thoughts that came to me this morning:

Today I am thankful for ...

- a healthy and happy family ... there are some issues before us, and things are far from perfect, but M & I, despite the difficulties we are facing in our relationship are blessed with three beautiful, intelligent and wonderful children ...

- enough to eat, and a place to sleep, and a place to stay out of the cold ... every day I am thankful for the blessing of having a home ... too many in our world don't!

- a broad and diverse circle of friends ... for too long I felt that I was alone ... I felt lonely ... a loneliness that drove me to form desperate friendships that only hurt me in the long run ... today, thanks to the wisdom of a friend, I have been able to take stock and a wonderful group of people both near and far who are, and who remain dear friends ... they have more than made up for foolish and toxic choices of the past ....

- the possibility and potential of the future ... the last year and a half have been a difficult time for me ... there have been bleak black moments where the action of putting one foot in front of the other has at times been a chore ... but in recent days, the process of assessment, reflection, and incorporation have lead me to realize a great deal about myself ... taking the plunge with ritalin has marked a significant change within that is still unfolding ... I am not a fan of pharmacueticals ... but I know what a difference it has made, and how that can only help as I continue to journey into tomorrow ...

- the gift of laughter ... One of the Neihbuhr brothers said rightly that Laughter is the beginning of prayer ... Over the last couple of years the gift of laughter, has as the poetic writer says "brought most healing relief ..." In the face of the worst life can throw my way, I am continually blessed to find things to laugh about ...

- the taxes of this fair nation !!!! Yes, I am actually thankful for taxes ... you will never hear me call on our elected officials for tax cuts, because I know that when we cut taxes we hurt the most vulnerable among us. Every year I happily pay my taxes be they income, GST, or PST ... because it is MY tax money that offers us education, medical care, military and police protection, fire and ambulance services, fresh water piped in on demand, and a LONG, LONG, LONG list of things too numerous to mention ... AND not least of all is the support MY tax dollars offer to the aged, the infirm and the needy ... I don't mind doing my share ... and so you will NOT see me join the rush to save a few bucks by shopping south of the Border, unless it is for soveniers on a vacation, because every dollar spent in the USofA robs us of a dollar that SHOULD be spent on the services we are blessed with !!!!

and last (for the moment) ... the ability to help others ... from The Hunger Site, here on line, to the local food cupboards, to NGO's ... we have a myriad of ways of sharing our wealth and helping others ... It takes a moment of time and a few dollars ... but it can and it DOES save real lives of real people ... It is such a wonderful way of saying "Thank you" for all the blessings we take for granted so easily !!!