“And so I give to you the only thing I possess…myself.” (Aeschines)

Today is Thanksgiving and I woke up early thinking about gratitude. It took me some time to find the quote that I used for this post. I don’t know anything about Aeschines except that he was one of Socrates’ students and his full quote is probably necessary to express my feelings of gratitude for all of you who read Grhgraph. He said, “Nothing that I am able to give to you do I find worthy of you, and only in this way do I discover that I am a poor man. And so I give to you the only thing that I possess…myself.” He said this to Socrates on the occasion of his students offering up gifts to their teacher. I know exactly what he was feeling.

I started writing this blog about a week after my father was diagnosed with lymphoma. Suddenly, there was an urgency that I had never experienced before, a sense that my time to express my feelings for others was limited and there were no more good excuses to put it off. It’s now four years later and my dad has been gone for two but that sense of urgency still rests on my shoulders every day. Expressing gratitude to those who are nearest and dearest to me can’t wait. It should happen every day, not just on holidays.

My life has been blessed with family and friends that are far better than I deserve. I had parents who cared enough to let me find my own way out of the mistakes I made and still forgave me for every bad decision. They offered only advice, encouragement and open hearts which is exactly what I needed most. My friends went along with my crazy ideas or watched in amusement as I crashed and burned but they always helped me pick up the pieces and start over. They all helped me survive my own youthful foolishness and live to become a better man. To them I give thanks.

My working life has also benefited from wonderful people who became my clients, vendors or employees. I achieved every goal I set out for and the voyage was memorable for the people I shared it with not the course I set. I tried to be a good manager with equal parts humility and courage but I probably never thanked them enough. Now I will. My accomplishments are your accomplishments. Thanks for everything.

And then God blessed me with a wonderful family of my own. My wife and kids have laughed with me at every turn, even when I know they didn’t really get the joke. I’m sure it wasn’t easy having a dad who was a bubble or two off level. They made me the father I am and whatever skills I possess for parenting came from them and my own folks who taught me what it means to love one another. “Thank you,” doesn’t come close so I’ll just say, “I love you more than you know.”

Now today, for the first time, I have to thank WordPress and my readers. I am humbled by the response I have gotten from blogging. I have new friends in many new places just because WordPress makes it easy for me to be creative. I sit down at the computer, let my mind ramble and my fingers work and a few minutes later I have another original creation. I don’t know anything about SEO or social media success but somehow this blog has been read more than 100,000 times. Where would I be without WP? Am I making a difference for anybody in cyberspace? I don’t know that for sure but 100,000 people can’t all be wrong, can they?

My advice on this particular Thanksgiving Day… tell somebody you love them and thank them for being part of your life. The greatest gift anyone can give is one’s self. Thanks to all of you for giving me that opportunity. I wouldn’t be here without you.

©Guy R. Horst and grhgraph.wordpress.com, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Guy R. Horst and grhgraph.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.