Gratitude

I am writing this on Christmas Day, which provides a certain perspective.  Recent events also provided reminders.

There is much to be grateful for.

For whatever which has seemingly gone wrong, there is still a lot which felt right.  We cannot choose how we are born, but we can choose our friends & those we hold dear.  We cannot determine how people behave, but we can decide how to respond.

I have been very blessed that through my journey thus far, there have guides, mentors, friends and even acquaintances who have provided perspective & reminders of what is truly important & worthy of focus.

I am fortunate to have a group of friends from my formative teenage years who still keep in touch despite us having been spread across the globe through the years.  We have seen each other and now our kids grow up.  While quite of bit of our chatter is for humour, much truth lies within the words.  We have seen each other in our most basic form, devoid of titles on a name card, and way before any profiles on social media.  And we remind each other of who we really are & should be.

The world seduces with titles, number of views & likes, status & memberships.  It is nice to be recognized and even pampered.  But we grew up without needing or even knowing about most of these.  The fellowship & the laughter together are enough.

More friends have crossed my path & been revealed to me.  They allow me to be who I am.  More important, we are friends because of who we are.  Their words hold truth without agenda.  We make time for each other purely because we enjoy the fellowship together.

There is much to be grateful for. 

My family, my mentors & my friends (both old & new).  The gifts who presented themselves.  Thank you.