Happy Thanksgiving

I sure wish I were back home in Louisiana for it. Instead, I had to work and eat Japanese school lunch. And Japanese school food is nothing like going to a sushi restaurant, trust me. However, I am thankful for being able to live in Japan. (And I did get to eat kimuchi nabe, which is quite tasty, for dinner. If you’re interested, I’ll explain what that is another time.) I’m especially thankful for my two and a half month old daughter and my wife. I’m blessed with a great family. Seeing my daughter’s smile when she tries to “talk” is like nothing in the world. I may be more tired than I’ve ever been in my life, but it doesn’t matter when compared to the joy of noticing all the little ways that my daughter is growing. One of the things I notice lately is how much stronger her arm is when I’m holding her. I feel her grip on my shoulder becoming more and more firm. And today she tried to mimic me saying, “Love you.” She was trying to form her mouth correctly while watching me say it. It almost even sounded like she said it. Incredible!

I had thought to make a list of other things I’m thankful for in this post, but I think I’ll leave it at this for now. My daughter is what I’m most thankful for this year. And I guess that’s enough of me gushing about her.

So, enjoy your day, realize the good things you have in life, and think of me when you’re eating turkey and gravy and pumpkin pie and cranberry dressing and sweet potato casserole and dirty rice and cornbread dressing and ham and…..