Giving Thanks

At this moment in time, I would have to say I’m thankful for having the opportunity to fulfill a life-long goal of one day teaching at a college or university. I’m now in my fifth year of teaching broadcasting at the School of Journalism and Broadcasting at Western Kentucky University. I’m grateful for my students that write a note to say how appreciative they are for the effort I put into my classes and how they benefitted from them. And I’m thankful for those students who stay in touch with me after they graduate to let me know how they’re doing in their broadcast careers.

I’m thankful for being able to have the whole family together for Thanksgiving for the first time in five years as each of us have moved to different parts of the country but this year will all return to my hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It will be our first Thanksgiving that will have three grandchildren celebrating this family holiday spanning four generations.

I’m grateful for my two sons that each have distinguished themselves in their chosen careers and are wonderful fathers.

I’m thankful for my two older brothers that always been there for me through ups and downs, thick and thin.

I’m grateful that a career in radio that I started in the 10^th grade in high school would allow me to pay for my college education, graduate school and raise a family. It’s a career that was all I ever wanted to do besides one day pay-it-forward through teaching the next generation of broadcasters.

I’m thankful for all the wonderful people I’ve met on this journey called life, people who were only strangers until we said “hello,” and then became friends for life.

One of my mentors, Zig Ziglar said: “You can get anything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” I’ve tried to live those words every day.

As we approach Thanksgiving Day 2014, remember you may make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.

Today, I’m giving thanks for you.