November 24, 2005 [LINK]
Translating "thanksgiving" into Spanish and back into English yields "action of thanks," or something like that. I used to wonder why old folks said "grace" before meals, and the meaning of that word eludes many people whose minds are fixed upon worldly things. The idea that life is a humdrum routine dominated by petty annoyances and random accidents diverts our minds from grasping the drama and wonder that is behind almost everything we do, just out of range of our perception. It sounds like New Age claptrap, but our lives are all connected in ways we cannot fathom, and the slightest gestures of kindness toward each other sprinkle live-saving grace that keeps us all going. The seductions of technology numb our senses to the existence of this social network that we usually take for granted, but it's there. I have so much to be thankful for to so many people, and I hope this Web site is an apt reflection the many graces that have been bestowed upon me during my lifetime. For my wonderful, devoted wife Jacqueline; for my wise and loving father Alan; for my dear, delightful (and departed) mother Mary; for my wonderful and uniquely gifted siblings Chris, Connie, John, and Dan; for all the inspiring teachers and professors I have had the honor to study under; and for all the fine, close friends I've had over the years, such as Dave, Thomas, Lanny, Carlos, Donna, Deb, another Dave, Fred, Greg, [Randy], Rich, Norm, Dennis, and Joe (departed), I am deeply thankful to God. Amen.