Saturday, November 19, 2011

Eight Powerful Reasons to be Grateful

My neice, Rosie, asked in a facebook question, "What are the 5 things you are most grateful for in your life?"  That's an impossible question for me to answer.  I thought of my faith and family: Mom and Dad, brothers, Jim and Ed and their families; my wife, Kathy; my children: Peter, Martin, Maureen and Libby and their families; Kathy's parents, brothers and sisters and their families; my high school seminary buddies (we still stay in touch), my teachers, especially English teachers, Sr. Veronica Marie, Father Ermin, Father Leonard, and Psychology teachers and mentors, Professors George Thompson and D.O. Hebb; the Management Progress Study group at AT&T, my colleagues and students at Smith College, Michigan State, Universiteit te Utrecht, Cambridge University, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, University of Wyoming: Kerrie and Pat and my other friends at the Northern Colorado Writers and more recently, my facebook and twitter friends, some of whom I haven't met...etc. etc.
Do you see what I mean?  It's impossible and I'm only scratching the surface - What about Art, Herb, Roel and Yolande, Rabbi Frankel, Nancy and Steve, etc. etc. ?
Five, Rosie?  It's impossible.  I did notice that all these reasons for gratitude so far are people, except for my faith, but that's a relationship, too. 
If I have to narrow this down, I'll give you eight - eight people, all young - for whom I am eternally grateful on Thanksgiving and every day of every year.  Here they are, in no particular order, my grandchildren:

Eloise

Jacob

Larson

Sonder

Madeleine
   
August

Odin

Noah

6 comments:

  1. Just about the best 8 reasons on the planet! You are a very blessed man. Best wishes for your entire family for the holiday season.

    Thanks for sharing your grandkids!

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  2. Hi Pepe, it's Madeleine. Love the pics!! See Meme and you later. I still haven't read the rest of the story you wrote. Madeleine

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  3. Dean, I agree. Thanks for the greetings - and the same to your family. Madeleine, Thank you for visiting my blog. I'm glad you liked the pictures. Love, Pe'pe'

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  4. And something I'm most grateful for is the love that that comes from grandparents - the love that Pepe and Meme give to their grandchildren. Madeleine, Noah and their cousins are blessed to have that gift. Thank you! -Lib

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  5. This is a wonderful post, John. There are so many blessings in our lives that it's hard to pick and choose, but grandchildren definitely belong at the top.

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  6. And I'm grateful for you, Dad. :-)

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