Intentional Gratitude

I don’t know what your experience is typically like during Thanksgiving, but mine usually involves a lot of cooking, eating, and eating some more. Heaven is a leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich on white bread with mayo.

Thanksgiving also usually involves a non-specific gesture to being grateful during this season. I feel gratitude, but it’s vague and probably a bit superficial. So this year I’d like to take an opportunity to share forty-two specific things from 2023 that I’m thankful for (it’s forty-two because that’s how old I am).

With that being said, in no specific order, here are forty-two specific things for which I’m grateful:

1. Getting caught in the middle of a huge storm while going through the Astra Lumina experience at Anakeesta this past summer. It was wild, and we made some great family memories.
2. Coaching my son’s soccer team.
3. Family Movie Night - most Friday nights our family orders a pizza and watches a movie together.
4. My therapist, Kaleigh Countiss.
5. The book club my friend Michael and I started at the beginning of the year. We’ve had people float in and out all year, but there are nine people who have consistently been there: Adam, Amanda, Scott, Matt, Mike, Jacob, Brittany, Michael, and me. Our conversations have been amazing. We’ve also read Atomic Habits, Ninja Selling, Never Split the Difference, Multipliers, Grit, Mindset, Unreasonable Hospitality, and (currently reading) Clear Thinking. We meet every Thursday at 10:00, and anyone is welcome to join us.
6. An amazing dinner experience at La Fête in Birmingham.
7. Finally getting to see Matchbox 20 after the pandemic canceled their 2020 tour. We bought those tickets in 2019.
8. After a multi-year break from CrossFit, getting to rejoin the community at CrossFit JXN. I’ve had to take a break for the last couple of months because of some personal health issues I’m working through, but I’m heading back to the gym after Thanksgiving. The head coach there, Hollye Henderson, is one of the kindest people I’ve ever known, and I have a mountain of respect for her.
9. My wife’s chicken pot pie. It’s a transcendent experience.
10. A cup of coffee, specifically the Dark Night of the Soul blend from The Mad Priest Coffee Roasters in Chattanooga.
11. My daughter turned thirteen this year. Everyone talks about how awful your kids become when they become a teen, but that hasn’t been my experience at all. Seeing my daughter discover who she is and what she values has been amazing to watch.
12. Also getting to watch my daughter perform in Showchoir. Personally, I don’t get Showchoir, but I’m glad she enjoys it.
13. The docuseries Beckham on Netflix. I loved every minute of this show.
14. The meditation app Waking Up. I’m not nearly as consistent of a meditator as I’d like to be, but I still feel the benefits of meditating all the time. The ability to recognize a thought as a thought rather than being carried away by discursive thinking is a skill that has had an outsized impact in my daily life.
15. The book Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Sooner by Kevin Kelly.
16. Seeing Nickel Creek play at Moon River Festival in Chattanooga was incredible. It’s genuinely hard to comprehend how the three members of that band are as individually talented on their instruments as they are.
17. This scene in Ted Lasso: Dad & Darts. It’s my favorite four minutes of television ever produced. I come back to it often to remind myself to “be curious, not judgmental.”
18. Three drinks in the Belhaven district of Jackson, MS: the Tom Collins at Good Bar, the Temple of Memories Xtra (not currently available - sorry) at Fertile Ground, and a Guinness at Fenian’s Pub.
19. The YouTube channel Calmed by Nature. Love having this on in the background while I work.
20. This morning I had a conversation in the car with my son talking about the soccer camp he has been participating in this week. He was telling me that it’s been a lot of fun, but it’s also been tough. Then he said, “But I like that. I’m up for the challenge.” I was so grateful in that moment to hear him adopt the mindset that a challenge is an opportunity for growth.
21. Egg nog. I love it, and I’m so glad it’s back in stores.
22. Learning German on Duolingo. I lived in Germany for a little while in high school because my dad was stationed there with the Air Force. I completely fell in love with the country, and I’ve wanted to go back ever since then. A bucket list item for me is to one day take my family on a trip to Germany, and I want to be able to speak in German when we’re there.
23. Taking walks with my family around the lake in our neighborhood.
24. Any night I get to sit outside with people I love around my Solo Stove. Erin got this for me last year for Christmas, and it’s the best.
25. One of my greatest fears stepping away from church ministry after twenty years was that most people really only valued me for what I could do in the context of church. I’ve been incredibly humbled by the number of conversations I’ve had over the last year with people who have helped me see that wasn’t true (for most people at least haha).
26. I bought a pair of Birkenstocks this year. The last time I had a pair of Birkenstocks was in 2003 (they were the clogs), and I left them in the dressing room of the auditorium where my college graduation was held. I’m glad to have a pair back on my feet. To my great disappointment, they did not come with a complimentary hacky sack.
27. Every person I’ve had the opportunity to work with this year. People have a million different reasons or situations that leads them to need to buy or sell real estate, and being able to help them has been a huge gift to me.
28. Recently, as part of a leadership retreat for my office, I had the opportunity to do the clay shooting course at Providence Hill Farm. I haven’t shot clay since 2004, but I had the best time and didn’t do too badly! I shot 35 / 56. It was a great time bonding with the people I serve on that team with. Also, that place is absolutely beautiful.
29. One of the things I’ve learned about myself is that I need to change my environment pretty regularly to help me stay productive. So, I may work in my office for a bit, then to a coffee shop, then back to the office. Having the flexibility to do that is a privilege that I’m very thankful for.
30. The cappuccino at Tamper Specialty Coffee in Madison, MS. Also the vibe there is great.
31. There have been a handful of really difficult conversations I’ve had this year that have taught me so much about friendship, honesty, and what it means for someone to truly have your back.
32. Binge-watching Peaky Blinders with Erin.
33. Playing Wordle every day and comparing scores with my friend Matt. I think we’ve missed two days this year.
34. Our house is already decorated for Christmas. That takes a lot of pressure off this weekend.
35. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. There’s gold in them thar’ hills.
36. Playing Mexican Train Dominoes or Hand-and-Foot (like Canasta) with my family on game night.
37. Back in March, my son and I did the 3.5 mile hike out at Buddy Butts Park in Jackson. We had such a good time. There’s a whole bunch of stuff from when that area was used for training during WW2, and it was really cool getting to explore it with him.
38. I know most people hate it when the clock rolls back and it gets darker earlier in the evening, but I’m the sociopath who loves it. This time of year always feels a little more magical to me.
39. I have two plants in my office that I love. One is a ZZ Plant, and the other is a Money Tree Plant. I was sure that I wouldn’t be able to keep them alive, but here they are just living their best life. They help me feel closer to nature when I’m stuck in my office, and they bring a sense of calm to my space. Incidentally, the money tree plant has not produced one dollar for me, which I think is a bit of false advertising.
40. This turkey recipe that I’ve made for Thanksgiving every year since 2014. It’s great at Christmas, too, in case you need to switch things up next month.
41. My dogs, Hattie and Maggie.
42. You. Seriously. You’ve chosen to be part of this community, and I’m extremely grateful for you.

I want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving, and I hope it’s filled with the things that bring you joy. And leftover turkey sandwiches.