As we are getting the first signs that summer weather is actually going away with the cool air, it gives me a chance to get outside, take a walk, or ride a bike. These times are some of the best times for me to get some really good thinking done. 

It seems we say it every year: “this year went by so fast,” but this year really did seem to go by extra fast, and with a lot of big milestones. It is with these times that I can get out and walk and think about how the year has gone for me. To borrow a line from Ben Rector from the song “30,000 Feet:” “I’ve been better, I’ve been worse, yeah, looking down from 30,000 feet,

life’s been good to me.” I do hope it has been good for you as well, and as we move into Thanksgiving, I think we have to remember that perspective has a lot to do with how we look at things and when it comes to being thankful for what we have. 

You see, just like the line in the song, we have all been better, and we have all been worse, but what matters is what we chose to focus on. This year as I walk and think of what I’m thankful for, two things come to the top of my mind. 

First is my family. We have had some of those “worse” days over the years, but it seems we are finding a path back to the “better” days. As I used to say, “Crazy does not run in my family…it sprints.” As my children are growing up, they are developing their own personalities and becoming their own person. I have to say, I think we may have been blessed with some great children. Sure, they still have a ways to go, but if you look at things from a 30,000 foot view, things look pretty good.  

Next would our team here at Family Resource Group. You see, we have come a long way, and they have done some amazing things over the last few years. I will be the first to say I am not the best leader when it comes to telling them how much I appreciate them, but if it were not for them then you would not be reading this today. Last year I told you about our newly expanded team in our New Orleans office, and this year I am happy to tell you about our new team in Denver, Colorado, with the addition of Colorado Parent to our family. As we have grown, we’ve had some better days and some worse days, but our team has come back every day saying “we can do this, and we can do it even better.” For that, I am so thankful and excited to continue the journey they are on. They all have the passion for helping our community, and we will continue to be the best community partner we can be. So to our teams in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Memphis, Oklahoma, and Denver: thank you for your passion, dedication, time, and commitment to our company and community, and also for your trust in me. “Thank you” is not said enough, but it is thought every day, and, as I always say, we get better every month.

With that, I challenge you to think of the ways you have been better and worse and know the better outweighs the worse. In the end, you’ll find life has been good to you.

Happy Thanksgiving