What to be thankful for

Last year for Thanksgiving, my life-long best friend Chad wrote a really neat article about the things he was thankful for. He said then he was inspired by writers like Furman Bisher at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who make a yearly ritual of this. And yesterday Jenna Olwin posted a really nice note about Thanksgiving.

They've made me realize that I've never really done anything like this... in spite of having a LOT to be thankful for. So although this is something pretty new to me, I'm going to make an earnest attempt to pull this off.

I'm thankful for...

...my beautiful wife Lisa, who really is everything that I had hoped and dreamed and prayed for in a wife. There's not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for putting her in my life. And for all the stuff that she has to put up with me on (like ahem the recent campaign) she really is the most amazing woman I've ever met.

...my parents, who have been there and supported me throughout the years and have bestowed upon me a lot more ability and wisdom than they will probably ever know.

...my sister Anita, who never ceases to astound me. That the little sister who used to run at the sight of a tiny spider would grow up into a skilled professional who deals with gross things like internal anatomy and musculature and whatnot has been one of the most remarkable transformations I've ever witnessed.

...having some of the best friends that a guy could possibly hope for. Way too many of them to try to mention here and do them any justice.

...new friendships made this past year. Especially the one Lisa and I have struck up with Jenna Olwin... who has already become a very dear sister in the Lord to us.

...having a pretty wacky place to work in, that is anything but boring.

...having been able to run, for the first time in my life, a campaign for public office. And one so unique that it landed my photo in The New York Times, the News & Observer and the News & Record among other places.

...and I'm very thankful (and still stunned) that I received 4,648 votes in the election.

...for new opportunities that God has recently opened up, that I'm looking forward to seeing what becomes of them.

...for the people in our church, who are more inspiration for me to seek out Christ all the more than they will probably ever know.

...that I was able to make one short film and three pretty neat commercials in the past several months, in spite of some things.

...that Lisa and I got to drive down to Charleston, S.C. in May to watch Ed, one of my best friends, tie the knot with his lovely bride Olivia.

...that we got to have some pretty neat adventures away from home during this year. Sometimes in places we hadn't even intended on going to.

...that in spite of a very nasty beginning of the year, that God has brought us a lot further than we thought we would be at.

...for discovering an awesome new barbecue ribs place (Pigs R Us in Martinsville).

...that "Weird Al" Yankovic released Straight Outta Lynwood, one of his best albums ever.

...that a few months ago I was able to drive the entire length of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, after wanting to do this for 14 years.

...that I was able to read a lot of books this past year, including The Chronicles of Narnia for the first time in my life.

...for being able to say that I'm thankful to begin with.

I know, it's not a perfect list and I've no doubt left some things off. But the important thing is to just be thankful at all, right? Maybe next year I'll do it better :-)