Thankful for...

[imoldernu]

A personal look back.

Woke at 3AM today, the day before Thanksgiving. Two hours of dreamily looking back to remember what I am thankful for.
Two wonderful hardworking, moral and loving parents, who taught me the greatest gift... empathy.
Grew up smart, sensitive and with great curiosity. Skated through school all the way to Bowdoin, with a full scholarship... grades yes, but helped by being an All-American swimmer. (Had my choice of scholarships to 9 different schools.) Just lucky...
Best Liberal Arts School in US and the World. All male school back then.
Major in Psych, minor in German... but the best ... classes in Astronomy, Biology, Creative Writing, World Religions, Art Appreciation, Music, Calculus grrrr... Sociology, Military Science, Music, Physics, Philosophy, Economics, and more that I've forgotten. Framework for the next 60 years... loving every part of life. A sponge for old, new, and what's around the corner.

Married right out of school to jeanie, friend from my childhood age 7, but never dated til My HS Senior Prom. Now 61 years of love and marriage.

After School, Army, then 30 years of management with Sears and Montgomery Ward.
In all, we moved 22 times in 7 states, and 38 states of US travel with work.

Four great sons... we grew up together... (for me 30 years in Scouts) and back then... almost every weekend... camping, canoeing and exploring, with jeanie too, when we weren't with the Boy Scouts.

Early retirement @ age 53... (cancer)... forced a decision to make the rest of life, the best. Non-stop action for 25 years... delightful social life of Illinois/Florida snowbirding and travel. Since 2012, happily settled in our senior community, in our 84th year... reasonably healthy and very happy.

A few blips along the way, but ninety-nine plus percent...of what we could have ever hoped for.

Two hours of sleepy, vivid, wonderful rememberings.

Have you ever done that?

 

[cooch96]

What a grand, life! I hope mine will be as rich.

Right now I’m mostly thankful for my wife’s health and the stock market, actually. Right now, I’m lean FI and am getting more and more confident I can comfortably semi-FIRE any month now, with full FIRE around 51.

 

[Dtail]

At 2+ years of early retirement, among other things I think about it from time to time that I am thankful everything fell into place, as the retirement was not specifically planned for 57 y.o. when it happened.

 

[H2ODude]

Not sure who my bestest hero is.... Imoldernu or our neighbor lady we see at the pool every day in the summer. 90, goes everywhere and busy ALL the time. Must be incredibly wealthy because a prime sponsor of many charitable endeavors about town, yet appears to live a modest life. I know who my role models are, it's great to have them in our lives if even just through the web!

 

[Winemaker]

I'm thankful for your experiences and thoughtful posts. May you and Jeanie have several more "Happy Thanksgivings"!

 

[Scuba]

Love your post! Happy for you that you’ve had such a wonderful life. Best wishes for many more good years.

 

[jollystomper]

A personal look back...

Two hours of sleepy, vivid, wonderful rememberings.

Have you ever done that?

First, thanks so much for your post. It is VERY encouraging!

I think about being thankful every day. I have time to do this, now that I am retired.

In the past month, I have attended funerals for friends of our family who were aged 19. 34, and 43. All were physically healthy, active, and were part of loving families. None of them died of natural causes. So I am just thankful for every day I have, since nothing is guaranteed.

I went out to golf yesterday after returning from the last funeral, to clear my head a bit and reflect. The weather was nice and a lot of folks were on the course. I was by myself, and at one point 2 groups ahead of me turned back and told me the pace was too slow for them. I thought how delays like this (or even for things like standing in line for something) no longer bothered me, I was just thankful for the opportunity to be out and healthy and still able to briskly walk the course. The funny thing, because it was slow I got a chance to more appreciate the layout and beauty of the course... and in just looking around at the beauty I ended finding about 20 golf balls.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Thanks for posting! Like you I had awesome parents and am grateful. I am thankful for my family, friends and doggies as I sit here drinking coffee glad that I am not driving to work in the snow. Much nicer to watch from inside)

 

[Mdlerth]

Wow

I'm thankful for my magnificent grandson born last month.

I had a doctor appointment this morning, and in the exam room was a monitor playing brief video clips about a variety of medical topics. One of the topics was fertility, with details regarding the Fallopian tubes and endometrium. I could not help thinking how fragile and miraculous this Gift of Life is.

 

[pacergal]

So Thankful for the life I have had:
Wonderful parents who instilled confidence and caring for others, along with great financial advice: Give to God, give to savings, live on the rest.
Stable life growing up in the same house from age 5, long time friends from Kindergarten still keep in touch
Met DH in high school , have been together 45 years, two wonderful kids, 3 grands.
Financially stable and retired when we wanted.
Good health so far.
Feel blessed every day.

 

[Sue J]

I'm thankful for my wonderful husband. All round nice guy and he took very good care of me during my surgery recovery.

I'm thankful for my shiny new titanium hip that matches my other 5 year old titanium hip. Just one of the miracles of modern medicine.

I'm thankful for my daughter-in-law from Beijing who fell in love with our son and went through a long, expensive process to get her green card. She's now a Permanent Resident. I'm always aware of what she gave up back in China in order to be here with our son and us. And they gave us a grandson, so it can't get any better than that!

I'm thankful for my Physical Therapists who have helped me get from there to here. I asked one of them to show me how to get up from the floor, something I haven't been able to do for a couple years. I've practiced and now I can get on the floor to play with our grandson. My next goal is to go for a walk at a park with him.

I'm thankful for my new kitchen!! We waited a long time and we both love everything about it. We really deserved this.

This has probably been our most expensive year since DH retired. WORTH EVERY PENNY.

 

[SunBlueSky]

I'm thankful for my two loving parents, siblings, grandparents, relatives, friends, teachers, coaches, bosses, co-workers, and for the advice and camaraderie on this blog.

 

[Red Badger]

I offer a brief but sincere prayer of thanks for our blessings each morning. If I tried to list them, I would run out of life before finishing.

However, to the folks here, I am thankful for: lots of sage advise, humor in all its forms (including boiled eggs), and a generous dose of digital fellowship. Special mention to the admins and mods for the requisite jetsam, lest we have flotsam.

 

[Jerry1]

My life has been nothing like Imoldernu but it was a lovely read and I wish him and Jeanie all the best.

My life didn't start out too well, was pretty good in my 20's to 30's and it got much better from there. At about 40, the work started paying off, family life was getting better and I'm very thankful for all of that. However, because the beginning and middle left some to be desired, I'm thankful that I've had the good fortune to at least be able to anticipate that the remainder will be good to great.

The few things I'm most thankful for have come with retirement. Personally, I'm much calmer. I've even seen/heard my daughters (in their 30's) laugh and say "who is that guy". Usually referring to me being silly or just being oaky with something I would have stressed about. That helps tremendously with what I'm most thankful for - my grand children. Not just that I love them but that I have actually found a way to enjoy them and hopefully even be a positive influence in their life. Being retired has allowed me to spend time with them that just wouldn't have been possible while working.

So, most thankful for my family. Then, I do love the little things like getting up when I want to and not having to deal with the commute or the zoo that was work.

 

[RobbieB]

I got good health, a good wife, a couple of good step kids, 2 good dogs and plenty of dough!

Whoo - Hooo

 

[Souschef]

I am especially thankful this year as I just brought DW home from the hospital today after a successful cardio-version for her Afib.
Her son, DIL and 2 grandchildren where at the hospital this morning to visit, which really cheered her up.
I just pray that this one works at least as the other one 2 years ago
We are blessed!

 

[brett]

I am very grateful for what we have and not in the least bit envious of others.

I am one of the lucky ones. Wondefull parents, married well-great wife and children. Enjoyed working after a significant career change, and subsequently had a good career. Excellent health. Have had the privilege, the opportunity, and the resources in retirement to travel when, where, and for as long as we choose.

I keep telling my spouse that I have lead a charmed life. I really have and I am thankful for that and for all of the good people in my life.

 

[ATX78701]

I'm grateful for so much. Not the least of which is the gratitude list itself to remind me of how good my life is. A partial list to share:

1. To still have DM alive and in good enough health that she can still live on her own.
2. a DB that lives close to DM and can help as needed.
3. my health - specifically recovering from double jaw surgery. this week is week 6 of recovery and i'm regaining feeling in a portion of my bottom lip.
4. To be on the cusp on FIRE and all the freedom that entails
5. Friends who include me in events when so often if left up to me I'd just stay home
6. My wonderful pet - a 12 year old lab who means the world to me
7. wonderful memories of loves ones I've lost but who still are in my mind and my heart.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

 

[albireo13]

Thankful for my parents who raised me, my great
Kids who gave me a run for my money, my 2nd wife
who took over the reigns after my first wife passed,
my good fortune that I have an office job rather
than digging a ditch for a living.

 

[Gumby]

I am thankful for these blessings, among many others:

1. That my teen mother left her family and everything she ever knew to bring me to a better life in the USA.
2. That I was born healthy and have remained so to this point.
3. That the USNA thought I was worth a chance.
4. That the young wife finally said yes.
5. That the things I have been interested in and capable of doing are financially well rewarded in this country.

 

[street]

I give thanks each and everyday, for all the blessing I have been fortune to have in life.

 

[tmm99]

Countless blessings in my life. Life is like a miracle in itself.

 

[Calico]

I'm thankful for my good health, and the good health of my family and friends.

Everything else pales next to the above.

 

[HFWR]

I’ve done reasonably well, in spite of myself.