As Thanksgiving weekend draws to a close I have been reflecting on what I am thankful for this year. Without a doubt, this year has been the hardest year of my life. 2023 has felt like a freight train hitting me. It has been a year of extreme highs and extreme lows. Mostly, it has been a year of a lot of pain, anxiety and stress. Yet, as the year comes to an end, I believe I am in a better place mentally, spiritually, and physically than I have been in a very long time. Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom to start changing for the better.
There is one person I am most thankful for and that is my wife. She stuck with me this year through some of the hardest, lowest moments of my life, and she did it with a determination and grace that I wonder at to this day. I am not sure how I will ever repay her for what she did for me this year.
After that is my children, who give me purpose. And finally all the family, friends, and people who have helped us raise our children this year. Without you I do not know how we could have managed this year.
In the next year I will reflect on how to be a better husband, father, friend and employer. My connections with people is by far the most affirming part of my life. I hope to be less selfish, less self-seeking, have less self pity, and to be inspired in my decisions and thinking around personal connections this year.
Thank you for reading.