Thankful

 Dear Barry, 

  I was thinking today about a conversation we had years back. At the time I was sick of the bad pay and long hours of my work and vented to you that I wanted to go back to school to become a doctor. You looked at me askance and asked me what about my job I didn't like. I fumbled around, realizing as I spoke with you that it was probably actually less the job than my own insecurities about how others viewed what I did for a living. I did in fact like my job and I was quite happy with what I did. "So why change something that you're happpy doing?" You asked this in such a way that, at the time, I just passed off as a Barry thing but nothing that works for normal people. But then I realized that you were exactly right. Why do something that doesn't bring us joy.

Or at least bring us to the places where we can be with those who bring us joy and afford us the time to spend with them. 

Long story short, as you know, I didn't go back to school to become a doctor. And while I have since had lots of change in my life: joining the Peace Corps, then moving first to the South and now to Germany, all along the way, I focused less on trying to change things to make myself happy and more on being happy with what and who I have in my life. I have been blessed with every opportunity that life has afforded me and I appreciate your simple but poignant words of advice.

Until next time,

Danny

PS- as promised, more pics of the kids. Love you man.