These are probably the best years of my life

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how lucky I am. I feel like I’ve enjoyed so much good fortune, and I don’t want to take it for granted.

I also realize that these may ever well be some of the best years of my life. My marriage is good. My husband is my partner and my friend. I enjoy being with him, and I enjoy parenting with him. He is helpful and supportive. We had so many hard years together, I absolutely do not take how happy we are right now for granted.

My kids are happy, and still want to be around me most of the time. They are old enough to be pretty self sufficient but not old enough to be dealing with the really big issues yet. They are happy and thriving at school, and have good friends that they enjoy being with.

Both sets of parents are doing well, mentally and physically. They are definitely starting to show their age, and it’s clear that they will only face more challenges as they age, and that’s if they avoid any major health issues.

My work is going relatively well. It’s stable and engaging. It provides pretty decent compensation at this point. In fact, for the first time in our adult lives we have some financial breathing room. We are no longer living from paycheck to paycheck, and most thing we really want are within our reach. (The only thing that isn’t really is home improvement, but at least most of those are wants, and not needs.)

We have friends and feel like we’re part of a, or really various, communities.

Things are pretty great now. We really have no where to go but down. It’s a strange place to be, recognizing that you’re living some of the best years of your life, and knowing something has to give eventually, but having no idea what it will be.

All that to say, I’m very thankful this Thanksgiving, for pretty much everything. I hope I’m appreciating these years in a way that will feel adequate later when things aren’t this good. I hope I won’t feel like I squandered it.