What the Hell Do I have to be Thankful For?

Did you ever have one of those years? You know where you wonder what else could possibly go wrong. I was tempted to save this for a Christmas letter…that letter where your friends or family tell you about Fred’s promotion, Mary getting a full scholarship after being named prom queen and, Jr. finding a cure for cancer while being chosen to be the first 8 year old in space…..you know what I mean. My letter would be one that would make you cry and most likely want to send me a check.  Rather than a Christmas letter I decided to torture you in this blog and again ask” What the Hell Do I have to be Thankful for?”

Here is my last twelve month (get a hanky and read on):

-         Two days after last Thanksgiving I was on my way to my office and slipped in my garage tearing my quad tendon completely from the bone, I had to have holes drilled in my kneecap and the tendon reattached. As I lay on the garage floor wincing in pain unable to move I threw shoes and other items from my brief case at the door hoping to get my wife’s attention. Thankfully my dog “Bagger Vance “ heard the thuds and ran to my wife …”mommy quick, Timmy fell in the well again” – saved at last.

-         Due to the injury I was forced to wear a full leg brace from hip to toe for twelve weeks. Giving me throw back memories from a childhood of surgeries and body casts…. A physiologist dream that’s what I am.

-         One and half months later in January of this year my father passed away. Unable to travel I could not be with him in his last days or attend a final service for him.

-         As executor of his estate I was forced to deal long distance with the challenges that come with losing a parent, dealing with an estate and five siblings… enough said?

-         Also in January my son lost his job due to a corporate change in the position he was in.

-         In August I had Gastric By Pass surgery to correct my uncontrollable  weight gain, over the last few years I began to resemble Jabba the Hut with out of control blood pressure, high cholesterol, boarder line diabetes and sleep apnea  (other than that I was doing pretty good).

-         Two weeks after the surgery I started having some bleeding, thinking it was just after surgery issues I ignored it for a week and ended up in intensive care, losing five pints of blood over that week. I spent four days in the hospital while my wife was out of town. I was scheduled to meet her in my home town to bury my parent’s (I would have to miss this again).

-         STAY WITH ME THERE’S MORE   

-         Three days after leaving the hospital my company notified me that due to corporate reorganizations my office was being eliminated and that my services were no longer required. The first time in thirty three years that I had ever been out of a job.

-         Due to that situation we decided to sell our home (in a down market) and relocate.

Wow, what a year! Thankful, blessed, what the hell do I have to be thankful for? Well plenty. Everything happens for a reason and a purpose and it serves us. This is something I personally choose to believe, so let me explain:

-         Tearing my quad, although painful and very inconvenient actually helped me heal some very deep and old personal struggles that had haunted me since childhood. I had been trying to resolve these issues but going through the recovery process not only helped me in my knee recovery but helped me find closure to some personal issues…a blessing in disguise.

-         The passing of my father: Having now lost both of my parents and as foolish as this sounds I’m an orphan at fifty eight and only someone who has lost both parents can understand that pain. So where is the good? For the past four years my father has suffered with a broken heart from the loss of my mother to whom he was married to for fifty five years. The pain of his loneliness was apparent whenever I was with him and today although I have lost him, he is at peace with my mother. That is a blessing I choose to accept.

-         In dealing with my parent’s estate I had the opportunity to honor my parents by helping to make their last wishes become a reality. I hope they are proud of how I handled things.

-         The blood loss and ICU visit…hey I didn’t die….it could have been much worse for that I’m thankful.

-         For years I have wanted to open my own business and have more control of my life. Losing my position along with the severance package and an offer from a friend has made that dream come true.

-         We have tried to get back to the Carolina’s for five years because of the events of the past several months we have our dream home on a golf course in Greenville, South Carolina and my son has been able to move to Florida, which was his dream.

 

Yes, I have much to be thankful for as all of us do. Some say that as we go through life it seems like a random chaotic mess of confusion with no rhyme or reason but when we look back years later our lives are like a finely written novel. I believe that is true. Remember life is about choices what you chose to believe is a choice. Look for your hidden blessing they are there.

Good Selling and I hope You Had A Happy Thanksgiving

Bob

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