Thanksgiving

I may not be in a position to post updates to the site tomorrow, so I wanted to do my giving of thanks today. Firstly, I'd like this to be an antidote for the relentlessly political and bilious crap that Mark Morford wrote for his Thanksgiving article.

Thanksgiving, to my way of thinking, is a positive time of year. Not in a sense of blindness to reality, but in a sense of hope and thankfulness for those things that we have achieved through the year. Those achievements--both public and private, both personal and communal--give me hope that the next year can be even better.

On a personal level, I have to give thanks to friends like Jerry, Dianne, and Don for the unique things that they have brought into my life. Without them, I wouldn't have to challenge my own thoughts and beliefs in quite the same way. I wish them both the best for this holiday and for the upcoming year.

I certainly need to send thanks to Sonja for her care and patience with me. She has earned more than her share of my good will, and given me a new perspective on my own relationships. While I may not know what the future holds for us, I know without a doubt that I'm a better person for her presence in my life.

Thanks, too, to the people that I've met through this wonderful exchange of ideas that is blogging. Most specifically, Craig, Matt, Andy, Matt, Walter, Stephen, Deb, Nathan, Kevin, Bryan, Kim, Val, Jim, Oscar, Jay, Patrick, Jeff, and Kate--and more. I've valued the conversations and the patience. Thanks for reading, writing, and commenting. I look can't wait to see how you all challenge me in the future.

As well, thanks to Jo, Steve, and Dave for being intelligent, friendly opposition. While their politics and thoughts differ wildly from mine, never has a political opinion managed to ruin thoughtful conversations or brought an angry response. I value diversity of thought, and, frankly, find that the dissent often clarifies (and occasionally modifies) my own position.

In one way or another, nearly every site that is listed in my blogroll is there because the person behind the name impressed me. Whether they fit into my political sphere isn't too relevant--it's the people and their ideas that managed to be meaningful to me. A special thanks is due each one of you.

An odd sort of thanks goes out to my family. Not specifically for any act or action, but for those things that helped me become the person that I am. Imperfect, a work in progress, and filled with a knowledge of myself. I would not be the self-sufficient, introspective person that I am without their influence.

Thanks, in that same sense, are certainly due Cindy, Joy, and Christine. Sometimes, you grow more through the painful relationships than through the happy ones. Thank you for allowing me that growth.

I am extremely grateful to the country of my birth for being not only a wonderful place to succeed, but a wonderful place to learn from failure. Thanks go, too, to my fellow citizens for taking part and continuing this wonderful political experiment. The more knowledgeable we all are, the more educated and involved, the better the system works.

I am thankful to be employed, housed, fed, and well cared for. It sounds simple, and, yet, I know what it is like to be without all the above; I do not take it for granted.

I am thankful for the leadership of the country--not blind to the faults, and hoping that the voices of the citizens help to improve those areas that most need it, but thankful nonetheless.

Beyond thanks, I offer a prayer that this next year brings us closer to resolution in the Middle East. I hope that the next year brings the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan, in particular, a just peace and governing bodies that embody liberal principles and fair treatment for their citizens.

While thankful, I also pray for guidance and wisdom. My greatest hope, and the thing that I will continue to champion in my own small way, is that the paths that we have chosen will help to make the world a better place. It's a long road, but with will and wisdom, what began as war might still be the helping hand that guides nations away from violent religious tyranny.

I am thankful to those soldiers who have served to carry out the most demanding of tasks. My thoughts are with you all daily. For those fallen, and for their families, I offer my tears, my grief, and my sympathy.

I wish it could be more.

And, lastly, thanks to everyone who reads this blog: all of you have made this something that I enjoy. You've given me the opportunity to share my own voice with the rest of the world, and the hope that, in some small way, I am contributing to a much greater conversation.

Thanks to all, and here's hoping that this year has seen you well.

Posted by zombyboy at November 26, 2003 03:46 PM | TrackBack