Like many, on this day before Thanksgiving, I wanted to write about the many things that I’m thankful for. As I began to think about them, though, I found that I couldn’t possibly list them all, and decided to try and boil it down to a few simple thoughts. That turned out to be more difficult than I thought. So, after sitting here and scratching my head for a while, I remembered something I wrote one March afternoon a few years ago about being thankful, and decided maybe it would be appropriate for this Thanksgiving holiday. I’ve probably posted it before, and if so, my apologies for the repetition, but I hope it conveys in some small way my feelings about how blessed I’ve been and remain to this day. Here goes… Random thoughts on a March afternoon… As I continue my final approach to retirement, I find myself doing a lot of self-analysis that would never have occurred to me, say, 10 years ago. From time to time, I find myself taking a long and careful look at my life, where I’ve been, what I’ve done, what I’ve accomplished, and what I’ve failed to accomplish. For the most part, I’m pleased with the way things have turned out, although the “failed to accomplish” list is longer than I would like. Other than that, though, when I search my (not-as-sharp-as-it-once-was) memory for things to complain about, I find it remarkably difficult to come up with many meaningful ones. Like a lot of people, I worry about things over which I have little or no control. What if I get sick or disabled, and can’t work? What if I lose my job? What if I don’t get to retire when I want to? What if I don’t have enough money to do the things I want to do? What if…? I know, all of us have worried about these things and many others, and it’s normal to do so on occasion, but I will not allow negative thoughts to occupy so much of my mind that I no longer have room for hopes, dreams and yes, memories. I have discovered that a sure cure for the “what-ifs” is as simple as taking a short trip down memory lane. Okay, I can hear you asking “What are you babbling about, Harden?” Well, put simply, it’s an exercise in counting my blessings, and acknowledging the good things that have been given to me by God Himself. My wife, my son, my home, my childhood, my school days, my parents, my sisters, my extended family, my service in the Marines, and yes, my friends, are but a very few of the cherished joys and memories that I will carry with me for the remainder of my life. These are the important things, and in my opinion, the things upon which one should judge the quality of his life, not money, position or prestige. If I were a billionaire, but was missing the things that I’ve just defined as important, then I would not consider myself nearly as well off as I am at this moment. How can I be born and raised in Harrison, Arkansas, and not wonder why God chose to allow me to live in one of His most beautiful creations, the Ozarks? How can I reminisce about my childhood and school days and not find myself grinning ear-to-ear when I remember how much fun it was? How can I think about my parents, my sisters, and the rest of my extended family, and not feel the most comforting warmth? How can I spend time with my friends, and not feel the camaraderie that only time and shared experience can create? How can I look at old pictures of my Marine Corps days, and not feel gratitude for the lessons it taught me, and the lifelong friends it allowed me to make? How can I be married to Susan Harden, and not be amazed that a sweet and gentle lady like her could actually put up with an old rogue like me? How can I look at my genuinely amazing and awesome son, Daniel, and not have tears of pride, joy and unconditional love well up in my eyes? I couldn’t begin to count the blessings I’ve been given in ten lifetimes… Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 23:55:11 +0000
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