Happy Thanksgiving!
Hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving!
Ours was nice and relaxing – except for the traffic out of Boston on Wednesday. We drove to upstate NY to be with my folks, did a lot of lounging around and TV watching, and gobbled down some Tofurkey. It is an acquired taste (Jess isn’t a huge fan), but it has always been the sides that make these meals for me anyway… the mashed potatoes, the veggies, the cranberry sauce. Yumm!
This has been a hell of a year. And I know it is cliche, but I figured I would take up some space here by mentioning the things I am thankful for.
Friends and Family – “The wedding tour”, as we lovingly referred to it, was really the centerpiece of the year for us. We joked that it was an excuse to throw some parties, but that wasn’t far from the truth. It was an excuse to spend time with the people who are important to us, and reconnecting with friends and family over the course of that month is something I am more thankful for than I can express.
It was also an opportunity to continue to get to know Jess’ friends and family. They are just a great group of people. Her parents in particular have been warm, and generous – not just with me, but with my family and my friends. I am lucky to have them in my life.
New Homes – Being a first time home owner has introduced me to a lot of new things. Such as mortgages, and leaky roofs, and stud finders, and Home Depot. But it also gave me a new perspective and respect for what goes into making a real ‘home’. Beyond the yard work and home improvement projects, it has been a place to take care of, feel safe in, be proud of, and share with those who are important to me. Owning a home has been about creating a place where I love to be.
My parents also had the good fortune to purchase a new home. It is something I had been pushing them to do for awhile and I am sooooo glad they finally found the opportunity.
My Job – This year I was promoted to Vice President of the organization I have been with for the last 9 years (which, by the way, is approximately 8 years longer than I have previously held a job). It was an overwhelming honor. I have learned so much at this place over the years and I have such a profound respect for those I work with… not just because of their hard work and dedication to the people they are helping, but because of their commitment to each other and to the culture of the workplace. My co-workers feel like family, and my offices like a second home. I am very lucky to be a part of it and I can not imagine what my life would have been like without it.
Barack Obama – The last 8 years have been rough for those of us with certain political values. I was getting by just fine on the massive amounts of “I told you sos” that were provided to me. But after awhile, as things continued to get worse… and worse… and worse… “I told you so” no longer made me feel better. After all, this was my country that was hurting, this was a situation where I wanted to be wrong.
Eventually, as a self defense mechanism, a bit of apathy set in with me. It was too painful to remain a passionate citizen invested in what was happening.
And then came Barack Obama. For the first time in my life I began to understand how a real leader can inspire… and how important that is. I understand now when people talk about Bobby Kennedy, about the energy of those political times. And while I have no idea how Barack’s tenure will play out – I fear things have been too butchered to fix in a reasonable amount of time – the gift that he has already given me is one of hope. I feel like there is light at the end of this tunnel, and I am inspired to care about it again.
Jess – It all begins and ends with her. Nothing I do, or care about, makes any sense except when I share it with her.
So that is it. I bought a house, got married, and am a VP – and I am incredibly thankful for all of it. Indeed, America still is a place where all things are possible. Although I think most of my friends would simply say that Hell has frozen over.
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[...] year I succumbed to the cliche of listing things I am thankful for. Well, it has been another great year for us, so please excuse me while I do it [...]
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We love you two soo much and are so proud of the people you have become
Mom and Dad