Once a year (sadly) people stop to think about what they’re thankful for. Here in the U.S. that was late last month. And now the Christmas holiday is upon us and it becomes all about the gifts.
But as I sit here writing this on Christmas Eve, I’m inclined to combine the two and express my gratitude this morning, even before I’ve opened a single present.
After all, to me, the gift of life (having breath in our lungs and waking up to a new day) is probably the most important.
But then, in no particular order, I start to think of things like the roof over my head, the clothes on my back, and the food on my table.
Living in a free country and then having all this great technology to make life easier must be on such a list too. After all, yesterday on the Instagram account for “Now Hear This Entertainment” I posted that the show has now gotten listeners from 139 countries around the world. Doesn’t that amaze you that I can create something here in west central Florida – again, a large part of the time using the technology that is Skype – and within very little time after uploading it, people can hear it in places around the world you don’t even know the location of without looking it up on a map?!
On that note, I’m thankful to TASCAM for all the gear that they’ve provided me with to record “Now Hear This Entertainment.” And I’m also grateful for the support of Boulder Creek Guitars.
Even the part above about being based in the Tampa Bay area has to go on a list of what I’m thankful for. Sure, as you see on Instagram and read about in the weekly newsletter, I do get opportunities to travel. However, having a base of operations in a place where the high temperature for this coming Saturday (December 29th) is 82 degrees makes everything that much more enjoyable.
In saying that my health is also a gift, I can’t say that without including the doctors that have cared for me that have enabled me to be in the condition I am today.
It should go without saying that I already give thanks daily for my wife and kids.
And, as much as the internet gives us unlimited space, I could go on and on with this list, but I choose to stick with the usual length that I write to every Monday. But in the meantime, I challenge you to use today and tomorrow not to reflect on the gifts that you’ll open but those that you already had on, say, July 24th and 25th instead of those that you receive on December 24th and 25th.
To everyone who is not only reading this week’s blog but reads what I write in this space every week and to those who listen and subscribe to “Now Hear This Entertainment” and to those who have bought one or more volumes of the Bruce’s Bonus Book (eBook) series and, of course, to the current Now Hear This clients, thank YOU for the gift of your time and your trust and your support with what I do here.
If you celebrate it, have a very Merry Christmas.
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