Give Thanks Edition

I can tell by the rise of gasoline prices that it must be Thanksgiving weekend! I remember when I was a kid, the only important thing about thanksgiving was a day off from school. Now that I'm older it really makes me stop and think about everything I am thankful for and that extra day off from work; well that's just a bonus!

My wife and I are very lucky to have our health. As far as we know there are no problems and we both have a clean bill of health. One thing I have noticed is the rise of cancer in the population, and not just older people it's with the young people as well. I've talked to my family doctor and she says not to worry about cancer until my 40's, but I think there's nothing wrong with preventative maintenance. I used to get a physical every two years but now I started going once a year and I've tried to incorporate more exercise and healthy eating into my lifestyle. We both try to eat healthy, but we all know how hard that is when our society is bombarded with fast food commercials and the food that our grandparents ate is now called "Organic" and is double the price. I am very thankful that my wife and I both have our health, and have food in our fridge when so many in this world are sick and starving.

We are very blessed to have a new house this year. Even though we live in a large city, we built in a very quiet neighborhood that makes us both feel safe and secure. It's a great house that will last us for the next phase of our life with enough room for two little ones when the time comes. With a nice house comes a nice mortgage, but we are also blessed with two great jobs and the smarts to make extra mortgage payments each year. I am very thankful to have a roof over our heads when so many people lost their house to disaster or foreclosure.

Having great friends and family is what helps gets us through the thick and thin. My wife and I both grew up in happy families and while no family is perfect, it gave us the solid start that some kids don't have access to. It seems as I get older, there's less time available for friends, and my friends have families now of their own which makes it even harder to hang out. I think once our backyard is ready next year there will be many, many BBQ's parties for years to come. I am very grateful for my amazing friends and family. They are a great support system to have in a world full of craziness and chaos.

I know this blog is supposed to be about financial freedom, but it's important to take time out and be grateful for what we have this weekend. Perhaps look at our lives and change the things we are not proud of, or steer our life around the "rocks" that we can't change. Have a great Thanksgiving weekend, everyone!

What are you grateful for this weekend?