Thanks to the octillions

I'm grateful for the chance to be alive at this fascinating time. Things are changing forever. Now! In our lifetime! I'm grateful for the chance to build up a family alongside Gina. I'm grateful for the chance to learn about how light and the smallest particles behave and to see the mysteries that are troubling the world of science right now. I'm grateful for our new fishtank and the peppy little zebra danios that are zipping around in there right now. I'm thankful for the generosity and love of family, friends, and colleagues that makes this life not only barable but great. I'm grateful for the occasional good book that I have the pleasure of running accross. (Gina and I have been having some fun with Goose Girl and Enna Burning lately. Young adult lit, written by a young mother out of SLC!) I'm greatful to be alive at a time when the world isn't yet destroyed (or even completely tamed) but when we can travel to see so many parts of it and see so much footage of it. I think right about now may be when the opportunity to see natural beauty on this planet has reached its apex. . . I'm grateful for the law of tithing and the steady stream of miracles that have helped us not only survive but thrive through this time of family growth and graduate school. It's been truly remarkable. I'm grateful for the priesthood and the ability to do something powerful and real when our family or our friends need help.
I'm grateful to learn that there is no end to the challenges in this world. That there will always be new things to learn and new things to do. I'm grateful to the French, Italians, Indians, Afghanis, and Thia and to the good-old Americans for a remarkable set of cuisines to explore. And I'm grateful to all those octillions of little chloroplasts and chloroplast-like bacteria for their incredible work in maintaining our current out-of-equilibrium condition.

Happy November.

Thanks, Bart, for the reminder tonight.

Doug