What We’re Most Grateful for in 2011

Our Good Health. Despite the onset of middle-aged aches and pains, we still remain capable of getting up every day, shopping for food, cleaning, making meals, doing our job, chopping the firewood and playing with the dog. Thank God for our Kripalu yoga practice and the teachers who blessed us with their knowledge. We also thank the many wonderful healers, doctors and others who tend to our mental, physical and spiritual well-being.

Our Family. It’s not easy being a great mom and dad to two teenage girls. In fact, we make lots of mistakes and kick ourselves almost daily for not being perfect parents. That said, we are thankful because we have great kids who are compassionate, funny and beautiful. What a blessing to witness their transformation from helpless little babies into responsible adolescents and young adults ready to take their turn getting things “right”.

Our Business. Like most Americans (many others around the world), we are struggling harder and making less. Instead of the incremental progress and accumulation of assets our parent’s generation enjoyed during their 40’s and 50’s, we are finding it a struggle just to survive in this economy. Despite this downturn, we feel lucky to have many, many loyal and wonderful clients who share our love of music and children. We are so fortunate to have a job, especially one that allows us to work together, have fun and make a difference in the lives of the people we serve.

Our Country. The U.S.A. is going through a crisis brought on by years of unsustainable growth, a certain measure of greed and a lack of compassion for each other and our environment. Our hope is that our leaders and our fellow citizens will make the smart, difficult choices necessary to promote long term prosperity for our children’s generation.

Nature. As we look around, there is so much wonder and beauty in our natural world. We are lucky to make our home in the woods where wild turkeys and deer parade past our window and squirrels, chipmunks, woodpeckers, spiders, skunks and swans share the trees, the reservoirs and the clean air with us two-legged folks.

Needs and Wants. A comfortable couch, a warm furnace, a roof that doesn’t leak and two old cars that still run are all blessings that come to us courtesy of the people who made and sold them. As musicians, we’re fortunate to have drums to bang, guitars and ukes to strum and microphones so that audiences can hear us. How lucky we are to have shoes, socks, pants, shirts, sweaters and coats.

You. Maybe we’ve met, maybe you’ve heard our songs or maybe you’re being introduced to us for the first time. We’re glad you’re here, a fellow traveler in this wacky, wonderful world. May you be blessed with abundance, love and gratitude.