The ninth anniversary of my second transplant fell on Thanksgiving. Coincidence?
There are no coincidences.
Do I feel more grateful this year than any before? Absolutely; how could I not? I do make the effort to send out an explicit hint of gratitude on a daily basis, but even with that, I really appreciate a day where the Facebook updates of friends are focused on the blessings received.
The turkey dinner with family is a super-nice bonus as well.
Making a list of my “thanks” is both easy and tough but it’s not a major source of stress. It will always start with being here. From there, while still easy, I do find it hard to work with my list. Do I prioritize? It is natural for me to do so. What if I forget some really amazing things?
By the way, I think my #1 is a great place for any list to start.
As I think about my list—family: Karen, Adia, Mira, and extended—I also find myself drifting to the places that would not yet get to my list. These I know are connected to my ambition to put more on the list, specifically the list of accomplishments. Call it a “bucket list” if you want, though I’ve never had one.
And for the record, I’m completely comfortable with the word “ambition.” While for some it may have a negative slant, for me it is all about change and the desire to influence it, both of which I’m all about.
Taking time to ponder brings recognition that I’ve never attempted to finalize a list of things for which I’m grateful, and my ambition would never allow such a thing as finalizing a list of “to dos.” Furthermore I would hazard to guess that a significant majority of my blessings were at one time ambitions—Karen, Adia, and Mira, for example.
Believing in the power of intention and focusing our time and energy I will dedicate this year’s turkey weekend to both the blessings received and the ambition that drives me towards those yet to be realized.
Always…
Live life. Love life.
Geoff
