Finding difficult thanks.

It's that time of year again.

A time when we get together with family, or our family of friends.

A time when we eat far more than we ever should.

A time when we look at our lives and see what we're thankful for.

To be honest, this was a rough year, and my initial inclination was to skip this year's obligatory post. I certainly am not going to pretend to be one of those guys who can list my basic needs in what I'm thankful for. Yes, it's great that I am not starving, sick, dead, devoid of friends, etc. but in all honesty when are we every THANKFUL of that? Should we be? I say no, but many disagree, and that is a debate for another time.

Given that I was not going to spout some drivel about the minute things that subsist in every one's lives, I wasn't really sure that there was much for me to say. Then I did what any self respecting introspective philosopher would do: I looked harder. So it is, that I enlightened myself with the following things that I am thankful for in 2010:

1. I am thankful for the kids that I coach, and the guy I coach with. The last few months have been dramatically better in comparison to the rest of the year almost exclusively because of the coaching I started doing. My kids are amazing- constantly challenging me and surprising me as they rise beyond my expectations. At the pinnacle of that success if of course the guy who found me and roped me into all this. He is an amazing coach in his own right, and his care for our team and the future of our program makes every moment I spend on this endeavor worth it.

2. I am thankful for New York. I have spoken to a few friends from "home," and one thing rang completely true. No matter the difficult trials that this year has presented to me, I still am happier an many ways simply because of where I live. This city never ceases to amaze me, and allows me to find a constant stream of small delights to keep me afloat in difficult times.

3. I am thankful for Starbucks. As small of a moment as it may be, it is great that I have something that brings a small amount of comfort and pleasure no matter how difficult my day might otherwise be.

4. Lastly, I realized that I am thankful for the difference I am able to make in people's lives. Sometimes I forget how truly impactful people can be. Looking around at the lived I have touched makes me realize that while bad things are happening, we can still be a source of great things.

As for the day itself yesterday was really nice. I spent time with lots of different friends, and did a wide variety of things. Sitting down to a nice dinner, holding great conversation, watching parade madness, adventuring out to a show, reveling in some video games, and finally partying up with the diziens of the city, all encompassed a fun day.