TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY

True happiness is a state of mind and must always be preceded by a commitment to good.  We have found out, in our lives, that achieving worldly goods accomplishes little in our efforts to attain true happiness. Some of the richest people I know are the most miserable. I say this because I have found happiness in many places in my life, and it didn’t cost me a penny. I am thankful for that.

I have found happiness in the world our creator gave us. I am amazed each time a flower blooms, or a hummingbird appears, or the sun sets once more over the hills, and across our placid lake. The stars on a cloudless night, a full moon on a forest path, a gentle rain that greens the earth and breathes life back into it. They all speak volumes to me and I am thankful for that.

I am overjoyed with the babies we brought into the world and the babies they have brought into the world. It fulfilled a great purpose in my life. From the time all of them were infants, to seeing them go out into the world on their own, my heart swelled with pride. It is an accomplishment fostered in love and not in money, and my hope, my prayer is that, as my body wanes and dies, a part of me will live on in them and I will be thankful for that.

It amazes me always, the love and commitment of my life bound partner, who spent her life making our lives inseparable. What we accomplished by trial and error, tears and sacrifices, and truly loving and trusting each other could not have been bought at any price. Even though I existed before she knew me, she truly completed me. I see that every day in my family, too, and I am thankful for that.

I think of the people that have come into my life as friends. I did not have, nor have I now, anything to offer them but my friendship and my love for them, but in the end, that was all they really wanted, as do I. Maybe it was their persona that first brought us down that path, but I have found so much good behind that admirable character, that first attracted me, that a lot of it has rubbed off on me and made me a better person. We tend to mold our lives from those around us and we thank God for making good choices. Yes, sometimes we don’t know what we are doing in life, but there are so many wonderful examples out there to emulate. It’s hard to go wrong if you truly care, and we should be thankful for that.

Lastly, I can’t forget my faith in God. All of the good things I’ve talked about are his example, and his way of life. None of it would have existed without him at the very core of my life. When others have failed me and when I have failed myself, as often happened, God was that rock and refuge that was always there for me. He never turned his back on me and all I had to do was ask. I am thankful for that.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.        Mike Holst