This last week, I had a conversation with a person who complained about the weather. If you have never been to Ohio, you may not know that our skies are gray often – I’m talking months in a row. Rain should make you grateful, as you and I would not do well without water.
Two days before this conversation, USA Today published an article about water sources found to contain “forever chemicals.” I don’t want to frighten you, but much of our water has tiny amounts of all the drugs humans take and many chemicals we use. It gives one pause.
It is my nature to question things like “forever chemicals.” I called my water supplier and asked them about these cancer-causing chemicals. The nice person who took my call asked for my home address. After looking up my source, it turns out my source contains no traces. But other members of my family may get water from somewhere else.
This morning, I forgot how close I was to the support beam in my garage and ripped off my passenger rearview mirror (for the second time). This is not a good thing. It will be expensive, but I am thankful no one was hurt, outside of my wallet.
Last week, I spoke in New York City. After my keynote, “The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success,” a woman rushed up to tell me her teenage daughter has an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a condition I also once had. Her doctors seemed to have given up on treating her.
While I am not a doctor, I know two things: 1) What her daughter was going through, 2) New treatments are available. I encouraged her to contact other doctors to look into other options. I was thankful I could sit down and hear her story. She was grateful to see someone who has experienced this malady and can have a normal life.
This morning, a reader sent me a note after reading the chapter where I wrote about my AVM. He also had an AVM and was lucky enough he didn’t have his skull opened. Nor did he have to lose a piece of his brain, even though I am sure his treatment wasn’t easy. Every so often, I have an experience like this. I have a picture from an event where a man had the same scar I have. We took a picture with both scars.
Many of us who experience traumas often find it improves them. You have no doubt heard the phrase post-traumatic stress disorder. What you may not know is there is such a thing as post-traumatic growth syndrome, where people process their traumas, so they become stronger. I am grateful for what I lost and what I gained through my surgeries.
My family is large. Our holidays are large affairs. Between families and friends, there may be upwards of 50 people, some young, some old, some in the middle. We are scattered across several rooms and, because there are so many of us, no less than four birthdays will be celebrated today. I believe only one person is lucky to have the only June birthday, but as babies keep showing up, odds are he will be forced to share his birthday soon. If there is anything worth being grateful for, it is family and friends and good food, and God willing, a lack of political conversations.
I am grateful for those of you who read the daily blog, even if you don’t read every post. I am also grateful for those of you who email me to share how you are doing. I never know who reads what and what they think about my ideas on a blog I have published daily for 14 years as of December 28, 2023. It’s a labor of love.
Happy Thanksgiving!
