Giving Thanks (#1318)

Topics/tags: Autobiographical

I’m thankful.

I give thanks for so much.

I’m most thankful for my three sons, all of whom are wonderful young men. I give thanks for the love I receive from them and the pride I feel in who they are and what they do. And I’m thankful that everyone made it home for the holiday. It’s a blessing to be able to spend time with them.

I’m thankful for my thirty-seven years of marriage to my wonderful wife, Michelle. I wish we’d had more, but thirty-seven years is still a lot of time. I thank her for the wonderful love she gave me. And I thank her for allowing me to love her in return.

I’m also thankful for the great impact she had on the world around her. The cards and messages I receive from patients, friends, and colleagues remind me of just how special she was.

I’m fortunate to have a lifetime of Thanksgiving memories, of Thanksgiving traditions, even of some failed Thanksgiving experiments, also of many Thanksgiving successes, and of family and friends who have shared the celebration with us.

I appreciate the friends, family, and colleagues who care for us, especially those who have shown extra care over these past few difficult months. I can’t hope to list all the ways in which people supported us, but I am especially grateful for those who permitted my sons and me to put aside some thoughts of work and focus on the last month or so with Michelle.

Thankfulness abounds (at least among the Rebelsky men) that Middle Son took the lead on making Thanksgiving dinner. He made too much, but everything he made was excellent. I don’t know if I had anything to do with his cooking prowess, but I’m proud that he cooks so well. Plus, he continued the tradition he started about seven years ago of making bagels in the morning!

I had been thankful that I’d made it through more than half of the day without crying a lot. Then I sat down to write this and, well, you know the rest. Tears drip down my face as I type. But that’s okay. I’m also thankful that I can cry. I cried at dinner, too, when I shared that I was thankful for my sons. I’m glad they could handle my crying.

And I remain thankful for the normal things. I’m alive. I have a comfortable life, even though it’s much emptier than it once was. I have a job that I love, that challenges me, and that permits me to make a positive difference in the world. I have great friends, colleagues, and students.

Yeah, that’s enough. That’s more than enough. It should be enough. I must remember that.

Version 1.0 released 2024-11-28.

Version 1.1 of 2024-11-28.