Twenty Six
On my birthday I started the dubious undertaking of counting my blessings. As an exercise in gratitude, I'd like to present some lessons I've learned from the people who have made and inspired me.
(I've included initials to balance between naming names and only providing cryptic aphorisms. These are no no particular order.)
1) From my mother, that responsibility and sacrifice are the cornerstones of strong families and businesses
2) From my father, that this existence is grander than the present or the material
3) From HM, that your legs can always go one more mile
4) From MM, that you always deserve a little more sleep
5) From PM, that solace can always be found in an instrument
6) From Papa R, that your appetite for books should fuel your hunger for travel, and that you should always bring 5 books home from any trip
7) From Nana R, to be kind to riverboat gamblers (because one of them might be your grandmother)
8) From Gramps, that grace and cheerfulness in the face of hardship is a form of greatness
9) From Nana M, that nurturing family is one of the purposes and rewards of life
10) From EZ, that the perfect plan next month can't beat setting out tonight
11) From PZ, to stay as curious as possible and resist the urge to rule things out a priori
12) From RB, that enthusiasm, ambition and hard work can be more fulfilling than irony (and that you should always roll the bones)
13) From GW, that running experiments with your passions and opportunities is the best way to find your vocation
14) From PM, that we should go any distance to invest in our friendships
15) From JR, that there is no limit to the number of pintxos a man can enjoy
16) From PG, that one man can create a community for others
17) From RC, that people are the story - and the only story
18) From EG, that how we respond to hardship decides the victor of the battle
19) From A&JG, that Zeus is the god of strangers, stoops, and hospitality, but Chaos is the god of creek children
20) From YM, to take ownership for your life choices and be proud of them (and to never muddy the waters)
21) From RT, that with a little luck, discipline, and a good poker face, you can buy up your whole neighborhood
22) From WH, to always remember where your roots are when you are putting down new ones
23) From DH, that we can change our lives more quickly than intuitively feels possible
24) From BS, that it is alright to be a business robot sometimes, provided you take frequent and prolonged limoncello breaks
25) From EO, that there can be work fulfilling enough to take on your honeymoon (and that you can take your friends, too)
26) From PS, that any sufficiently late night can launch a podcast (and that beer brewing is the next step towards rocket science)
(I am conscious of my good fortune in having more friends than years, so...)
27) From RL, that the good life consists mostly of friends, wine, books, coffee, and endurance sports
28) From LH, that any grill station can be a philosophical salon
29) From LS, that levity is crucial to sanity, even for serious people (and that Xavier Rhodes is the best cornerback in the NFL)
30) From DT, that if you're lucky enough to be on a ski slope, you minus well send it
31) From TS, that every hour in the gym deserves a four hour meal
32) And from Kirsten I've learned the thousand lessons of walking, changing, and growing alongside the person I love. Thank you for these six happy years and the shining promise of the next ones.
I'll have a brief and much-delayed reading list out soon. As some of you know, we're moving to Seattle next month. For the past month we've been visiting family, preparing for the move, and celebrating the Brooks's, which has been a (very fun) whirlwind. I hope you've all found something to read while I wasn't beating down your door with recommendations...
Thank you all for your friendship, love, and companionship.
Alex