Find Strength to Rise Above the 'Gray Area' this Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING To You All!

I know I am not alone when I say that I have much to be thankful for. I mean "Tis the season " right? And really, where do I begin? Well for starters, I'll begin with the basic thanks. I am so thankful for the love of my family and close friends. I consider myself so lucky to have been blessed with so many people who truly love me. And you all know who you are. I am so fortunate to have you all in my life.

It's true about what they say about family and friends.

We are so lucky. Those of us who have great friends and loving family members. It does make the holidays and really, everyday that much easier to cope with. And for some people, it's all about being able to cope.

It's also true that there is still that 10% out there who can make these days difficult. And for those of you who are dealing with the negative people during this time of Thanks, know that they are not the majority. They are the minority.

The negative, anti everything crowd are not the norm. Mean spirited family members, and like minded friends, can only take you down with them if you let them.

I don't want to start pontificating here, but you need to find the strength to rise above that gray area. You can do it. Or better yet be the bigger and better person and reach out to them. Let them know that no matter how much they hurt you, that you still love and respect them.

Wait did I just write that? I better be careful. I don't want to come off as some kind of Hypocrite...lord knows there's enough of them already out there.

Speaking of Thanks...it looks like there will be some surf on Thanksgiving Day. Talk about being Thankful. And really, all you surfers should be thankful for the weekly swells we've been having as of late.

Speaking of swells, the folks down in New Jersey and NY are still suffering. There is still a way to help them, and one of those ways is through the dependable RED CROSS. Just click here and send off $10 to help someone. That's such a small donation for us, but such a huge help that might help a family who is still with power and without their home.

Thank you all for the many phone calls, emails, Facebook messages, likes etc. etc. for all the Veterans Day thanks last week. It was truly humbling. Again, I am so lucky to have that many of you reach out to me. It's not often that I am at a loss
for words, but Veterans Day and the amount of love and support I get each year, has me realizing all over again how truly lucky I am to have you all in my life.

Speaking of Luck. Andrew Luck was not so lucky today playing the New England Patriots. Oh man...he was anything but lucky. At one point I think I may have blurted out "Luck You Suck!" while listening to the radio as I worked on my blog... I of course felt terrible saying that on this Thanksgiving Day week of giving thanks.

But hey, I'm a Patriots fan. I wanted the Colts to lose.

I wanted Andrew Luck to have Bad Luck Sunday. Does that make me a bad person? Huh? Come on...it's all part of the simple act of being a sports fan. We are fans. And even the most intelligent fans at times act like cavemen.

I like being stupid. I like reacting to the TV like we all do. It's crazy, but it's so much fun. So I am thankful for the fun I get while watching my favorite team. In spite of how loud and crazy I make my family.

Thank You Patriots.

I got to witness the local seacoast high school football team win the Division II State title on Saturday November 17th, 2012. The Winnacunnet Warriors defeated the Bedford Bulldogs 21-13 in a great back and forth game. There's something about High School sports that is different than any other level. They all play and coach for the right reasons. For the pride of their teammates, their school, and their community. Not money. Not endorsements.

As a parent who spent many an hour on gridiron, the victory on Saturday was for all the Warriors, past, present and future. So proud of the kids and the coaches. Well done Warriors...well done.

Now for Some Of My Weekly Global Observances:
Once again the Middle East is heating up. Wait, when has it ever cooled down? It has not. This time it's HAMAS and ISRAEL trading rockets on the Gaza Strip. Killing innocent civilians as I write this. The whole world is watching...and holding their breath.