A Thankful Reminder…
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
I have reached my desk at 6:15 AM the light has not yet reached the gardens. I opened the door of my home office to let the cool morning enter the office and the birds welcome the new day. By 6:38 they are now if full song chattering away and light is filtered on the Boxwood. Returning to my home office this morning, I am reminded of how I finished the previous evening and I find it worth sharing.
Last evening while working through some land offerings with a gentleman I have known for some time, an incredible connection was discovered. In the framework of writing this blog, I have shared or referenced very little about my life-changing experience as a 17-year-old and the car accident that shaped my life. I will save the long story for another day. It is enough to say through the conversation I shared last evening, the gentleman revealed that we share a life-threatening event as young men. We discovered we were both taken by helicopter to Shock Trauma in Baltimore after tragic accidents where the amazing nurses and doctors saved both of our lives. These events occurred within less than twelve months of each other in the early 1990s.
The occurrence of this conversation I believe was worth noting and without a doubt, he and I will now share a more meaningful understanding of one another. To say I am grateful even being here today is an understatement and there are simply not enough words or the right ones for that matter.
This morning I am grateful for this conversation and the connections we make in life like this one. The land business and real estate brokerage, in general, is not the warmest and fuzzy practice on a day in day out basis. Discussions like these however remind us we are all connected and the importance of sharing our humanity with each other is invaluable.
As we approach the end of the year, it is natural to take stock of the acres that yielded a good crop and the acres that filled with weeds. This year, while clearly challenging has created a lot of learning opportunities. I appreciate and wished to share, Mr. Emerson’s recognition in that even our weedy or failed fields contribute to where we are today. Through a failed crop or high cotton, each moment shapes our “advancement”. My conversation last evening reminded me of this fact. For that reminder, I am most grateful. Over this holiday, I hope you find time to appreciate both the good fields and the ones that need a full tank of Round Up! Happy Thanksgiving.
Be Well!
