What I am Thankful For in 2019

November 26, 2019 is two days before Thanksgiving this year.  Within our family, Thanksgiving is a big day, perhaps even bigger than Christmas in some respects.  Certainly Christmas is a much bigger day from a spiritual and belief standpoint, but Thanksgiving has always held a special place in our hearts.

As we round the corner on 2019, there are many things I am thankful for and I am taking a moment today to list just a few of them.  There are many more I could list, but I need to be brief and stick to the high points.

  1. I am thankful to live in a country where I can express my beliefs, my faith openly and without reprisal.  While our country has become more diverse over my 60 years, it still holds a unique distinction as being a place where most anyone can express their view, their faith openly and not fear attack or shame.  Some of you may disagree with this, but it holds true for me where I live.
  2. I am thankful to have lived over 60 years and to be married for over 37 years, all to the same woman, Gena Ryan.  She is the best choice I have made and I am thankful to have her by my side through all of my trials, challenges and frustrations.
  3. I am fortunate to have two wonderful, successful sons, Daniel & Matthew, who have amazing wives, Molly and Lauren.  In addition, we now have an amazing grandson, Charles Theodore Ryan (aka Teddy).  Teddy was born on October 14, 2019 and continues to add light to our lives every day.
  4. I also give thanks for two solid businesses, soon to be three, and for each of the clients I have the opportunity to work with in these businesses.
  5. Lastly, I give thanks for having such wonderful in-laws, Lamon & Sue Lovett.  We lost Sue from this world in April, but her impact will be with us forever and her wisdom will hopefully never leave me.  Lamon’s devotion to her  is a wonderful model for each of us who are husbands.

I could add a few others, but I’ll stop here.

Take the time to think about where you might be thankful.  I know I often forget to remember those who have helped me along the way and I should be more proactive in thanking and remembering more frequently.

I hope each of you have treasured memories you share and create this Thanksgiving week.