Verse Chorus Verse: Leigh Nash – “My Idea Of Heaven”

In this little miniseries about thankfulness, I've been fortunate that I haven't had to scrounge for ideas.  Despite my talent for complaints, I've always been fully aware of just how wonderfully blessed I really am.  That became all the clearer to me yesterday at 11:24 in the morning when I became an uncle once again.

Drew was born healthy at eight pounds, six ounces, with 10 little fingers and 10 little toes.

Christmas presents are usually placed carefully beneath a tree, wrapped in colored paper with a bow.  The best Christmas present I'll get this year was placed in my arms a week early, wrapped in a blanket.

I've heard people describe events in their life when time stood still.  Yesterday I experienced that for myself.  My wife, a proud aunt, handed me a beautiful baby boy and, for a few brief moments, there were only two people in that room.  For all I know, there were only two people left on earth.

I'd love to tell you that my brief chat with him was spontaneous, but it wasn't.  Not entirely.  Some of it was rehearsed.  As I drove from my office to the hospital, I contemplated what to say.  I wanted that moment to be perfect.  I now realize it was a bit silly.  He won't remember that moment, but I will.  I also realize now that moment would have been perfect even if I didn't think about it until it arrived.  Still, I'm damn glad I did.  The beautiful anticipation only made those moments of bliss all the better.

I'm a husband and an uncle.  Those are the two best titles this world will ever confer upon me.  No matter what I do in this life, no matter who I may yet become, nothing is ever going to top that.  I have four nieces and as of today, three nephews.  Thankful?  That doesn't even begin to touch it.

My cynical world view tells me it's so much easier to be negative, that life gives us so many reasons to feel jaded, apathetic, and gloomy.  Right now I'm not so sure.  Pain, suffering, and anguish abound, but I feel so alive right now because none of that can touch the miracle of joy.  Love not only exists, it abounds and surrounds and flourishes.  Life is a light than no darkness can withstand.