I’ve heard that “gratitude” is the secret to a happy life. That makes a lot of sense since I’m thankful for so much this Thanksgiving.

This year, I’m especially thankful for my two sons and the men they’ve become.  I have them both with me for the holidays.

Raising them was not a straight & narrow path. I was overbearing at times as a young parent, and frequently absent too focused on my career. They were rambunctious, mischievous and at times rebellious. One was a thrill seeker and the other quite sensitive. There were moments when I was sure that I had lost one or the other completely to their indulgences.

Each had minor run-ins with the police for different reasons. Each had moments when they excelled in school and also when they struggled to finish. They tested my parental limits and eventually found their own way to adulthood. Luckily, their mom always provided steady and loving support versus my more reactionary approach.

While the journey to this point has had its up’s and down’s, I can look back with better clarity now. In retrospect, I’ve never seen them bully others or get pleasure from putting people down. They had stopped calling each other and friends mean names by the time they got to middle school.

They’ve always been somewhat confident and self-assured, not needing constant attention or accolades.

Now, they remain empathetic to others, even those who are different. They understand and embrace world cultures. They’ve always respected women, and are kind to the disabled.

They value truth, fact-based reality and science. They stopped making imaginary lies for their convenience by the age of 9.

They are not perfect by any means, but in today’s world, I’m proud of their character above all else. I think they are already great.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!