As I sit here writing this, I am trying to think about all the good things I have in my life. I get a little teary-eyed just thinking about it.

If I was stopped while walking down the street and someone asked me that question, I would have a hard time answering. The difficulty in answering is because thankfulness isn’t always the forefront of our brains. I try to make it, but sometimes it goes to the back of my head.

When life is quiet, I will sit and think about how grateful I am to have a spouse who deeply loves me. I am thankful we have three beautiful children who grew up to be kindhearted loving adults. Grateful they found their person to make them happy. From there I remember my wonderful parents and how without them I would not be here. I appreciate all the people in my life and am very fortunate to have great friends and family.

Life isn’t easy. It really is what you make of it. I make several calls a day to make sure I stay in touch with everyone. This is more than a family and friend thing. I do this with my clients also. The people I work with mean something to me. I make connections and want to continue with their lives even after they are more than settled into their new place. All of this keeps my world grounded and turning with the earth.

My life in my twenties and thirties was always focused on the next payday. Always needing to make sure the bills were juggled, and the lights stayed on. I believe sometime in my early forties it was as if I noticed nature for the first time. I stopped to smell the roses. I paused at the bird which landed in my sight. As I progressed into my fifties, the shift had happened. I was no longer thinking about the bills or the lights. If it happened – it happened. It makes me laugh a little when I think of the time wasted. I realized it is the way it is supposed to be. This is aging! The older you get, hopefully, the wiser you get. I am not sure what is the correct word. It is more about being able to separate the meaningful things from the stuff. The stuff is the white noise keeping you from the meaningful things.

The goal is to be able to answer the question when asked without hesitation. A goal I haven’t reached as I am still a work in progress. What are you thankful for?