Tam’s Think Tank

The last time we were out of the house was Thanksgiving Day. I have to upload some photos from that day and I’ll do a post later about it. For now I’d just like to say this… we were asked a question at dinner, what are you thankful for. I immediately said Karen, but was told I had to pick something besides friends and family. I get the idea of that, but have this to say about it none the less. The people in my life, the people I love and who love me, are all there is really. I’ve been through enough to know there is nothing more important. There is nothing that defines a life well lived more than the people we choose and who choose us. So I’ll stick with my initial answer and expound on it a bit….

I am thankful, every moment of every day, for Karen. I’ve, in previous years, given thanks to friends and family, all of which still hold true, you guys… well…. I’m so lucky. But this year I’d like to devote my thanks to Karen.

I don’t know how many times I sit and think of her and tear up. Just thinking of her does it to me. It’s happiness you see. Happiness and a sort of amazement about how fortunate I am. I’m sitting her now, not all that far from being 7 years into this, tears coming, and loving her even more than I did six and half years ago. How is this possible? I don’t know. I am beyond lucky. She is the most genuine person I’ve ever met. Always herself. No matter where we go, who we are with, what we are doing… genuine. She is joyful. She lives every moment, never holding back what she feels. I love this about her. She is playful. Making me laugh just by being naturally herself all the time. She doesn’t put it on, she just IS it. She’s loving. She feels things deeply, loves without limit. She’s strong. She doesn’t take any crap. She stands up for herself. I admire this in her as I’m not always able to do it for myself. She isn’t afraid to stand up for what’s right. She will fight like a little pit bull if she has to, especially if she thinks someone she loves has been wronged. She’s a dork. I add this and love this about her because I’ve never met anyone who appreciates the dorkiness in me and matches it the way she does. She is silly, we are silly, a lot. She’s smart. Her mind is an amazing thing. I see this in the way she is in her work, but also in the way she just is in life. She can see things, how they connect, what they will look like in the future. She’s very good at this. She is insightful. She reads people. Especially me, which isn’t always easy, but she does it in spectacular fashion. She gets me. She loves me. She does this well. Better than I sometimes deserve. I can’t believe it actually. I’m stunned by her. Over and over again. Floored by her depth, her spirit, her love of life. To say I am lucky doesn’t even come close to really expressing how I feel about her, to defining what she means to me. To say I’m thankful doesn’t even touch the depth of feeling I have. But since I have no words to better describe it, I will just say… on this Thanksgiving weekend… I am thankful, every moment of every day for her. So very thankful. There is nothing more important in my life than she is to be thankful for.