Yesterday I heard a quote from Garrison Keillor:

“Somewhat luck lies in not getting what you wanted this Christmas season, but what you already have which is what you needed all along if you’d only known”.

This really resonated with me. So here it goes, my mushy Christmas blog post I’m bad at this kinda thing, but here goes…

I really do have what I need. This makes me tough to shop for… sorry. Sure I aspire for more, but what I already have is what supports me to reach for higher goals.

Life is pretty comfortable, enabling me to have the time and opportunity to focus on the things that matter. I can focus on my career, because sorry, but doing what you love matters. I can focus on my family and friends and I can focus on making my home more homey for myself and those with whom I surround myself. I have the time to be introspective, something that I usually have a really hard time with. I want to focus additional attention onto my community, getting to know it and helping to shape it.

Friends matter. I look forward to sipping on a beer 20 years from now with the same guys that I roomed with at Cal Poly. I get more and more enjoyment out of a shared experience with people I’ve know for a long period of time. Next year, I will endeavor to spend more time with friends, including a trip to New Orleans.

Who have I known for longer than my family? These are people with whom I have lots and lots of shared experiences. There’s a lots of transition happening right now, with cousins popping out kids, parents and grandparents aging and dying and people moving around. I need to spend more time with everyone. Kids are getting older everyday and everyone won’t be around forever.

Most of all, I am daily grateful for the love of Tracy. Man, she just makes it all worth it. Working hard to have the life that we want is paid off by seeing her happy. She and Rusty (yeah, I love the dog too) fill our home with so many great memories.

Alright, now to wash that sugar sweet taste out of your mouth, here’s my current favorite Santa photo:

Courtesy Swobo