MY 51ST STATE
by Norma Thomas on 09/26/12
I'll be 51 tomorrow. I will never be petite or blonde (though the gray is rapidly encroaching) or skinny. Unless one of those occasional lottery tickets pays off big, I will never be wealthy. That doesn't mean I'm not rich . . . in so many things that matter as much or more than dollars, my wealth exceeds that of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates combined. I have more than a few people in my life that genuinely love and care about me; I have a moderate measure of health; I have an above average IQ and creative muses that like to throw frat parties in my head. I have the genetic capacity to laugh until I cry and (more often these days) pee my pants. But most of all, I have a voice . . . a big mouth (by most accounts) and unusually strong vocal chords . . . I can sing at the top of my lungs; I can scream bloody murder; and I can whisper a prayer.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It is my fervent birthday wish that everyone reading this post will take just a few minutes to take stock of their own lives, putting aside the challenges and obstacles we all face to recognize and acknowledge all they have already been given . . . it's easy to say "family and friends and health" . . . look a little deeper; you know your strengths . . . be thankful for ALL of them.