An Attitude of Gratitude

We've got a lot to be thankful for at Good Government Files; here's a partial list

Happy Black Friday!

That really doesn’t sing, does it? Let’s try again.

Happy belated Thanksgiving!

Better.

We’re just about six months into GGF being a thing. So, I’m not yet comfortable taking a week off. That said, it’s a short week, and a holiday week, so today’s goodness involves a short and simple list of people and things I’m thankful for.

First off, I’m thankful I quit procrastinating and took the leap to start GGF, and even more thankful that you’ve signed up to read it.

The rest of the list:

1. My health. I’m now just about the age my father was when he died from prostate cancer. I don’t take good health for granted. Nor should you, dear readers. Exercise. Eat right. Get plenty of sleep. That’s about as complicated as it gets. Easier said than done, I know. For a deep dive into how to improve your health span, I highly recommend Dr. Peter Attia’s book, Outlive, The Science and Art of Longevity.

2. Beloved Wife. I hit the jackpot, out kicked my coverage, married over my head, and married up when she said yes.

3. My sons. I say that even though both are back living at home at the moment! I kid because I love. I stand amazed at how much they’ve grown. They are truly gifts from God.

4. My former co-workers. It’s been almost two years since I retired. I still get welcomed back to City Hall with open arms. I know of other retired friends who have zero desire to visit the City Halls where they worked. That makes me sad and reminds me God truly blessed me to work with so many amazing, hard-working, fun folks. I had lots of sweet memories thinking about them again just a moment ago perusing pics from my retirement party.

5. My former colleagues. I’ve had more than a little bit of help tracking down and sharing so many great stories for this newsletter from my peeps in the gov biz. Special thanks to Allison, Patty, Radio Jay, TV Jay, Sarah and Buzz.

6. My sobriety. It’s related to item 1, for sure. For those who don’t know me, I put the plug in the jug on May 27, 1989. I don’t take it for granted, either.

More than six and it’s not really short anymore, is it?

One last item to share today. I’m super thankful to share the news that ground has been broken on a healthcare facility serving the Las Vegas Trails neighborhood in Fort Worth, which we wrote about in Together, We Rise.

The Las Vegas Trails story may be my favorite example of gov goodness that we’ve shared on GGF. Multiple agencies pitched in to help a neighborhood in need. It’s succeeding because we have true servant leaders in government. If there’s one you think fellow readers should know about, drop a note in the comments.

Onward and Upward.