Thankful for everything this Christmas.

In retrospect, it’s been kind of a week of mishaps around the Powers household.

My oldest up in North Dakota had the front end smashed on her car, and it’s going to be about $1800 to repair. And of course, she has a $1000 deductible she’s going to have to borrow from me because she’s not financially in a position to cover it. It will be borrowed in the sense that I’ll cover all of it, and she can eventually pay me back half.

At home, I snapped the interior door handle off of my truck. And had to fix it to the tune of about $300. My garage door opener went on the fritz.  So, if I want my garage door to open again, I’m going to have to bite the bullet and buy a new one.  Yesterday, I sent my daughter to the store with $20 to buy a battery. She slipped on the ice, but got back up to go get the $2 battery I needed…… Only to realize that she’d lost the $20.

All “first world” problems to have, aren’t they? It just doesn’t mean anything in the big scheme of things.

There are people out there who have those mishaps or worse happen, and they’re in serious trouble.  A sibling called today, and noted that his wife could be facing cervical cancer.  Kind of underlines the fact that my problems are not really problems.

What’s worth focusing on is that I get to enjoy almost all of my children home for Christmas, plus my dad, my sister, her daughter, and boyfriend, and my #2 daughter’s fiance’ sharing the holiday with us.  It has been filled with friends and family enjoying the Christmas holiday with each other, enjoying food, drink, and old-school trivial pursuits.

Family, friends, and the opportunity to share memories of the holiday together. That’s the only thing that really matters this holiday.