Woke up this morning to a beautiful day full of sunshine.

Thanks to my sister for digging out this “gem”

Today’s a bit of a special day I guess. Today I start my fifth decade. As with most significant numbers, it’s often a time of reflection. Today is no different.

20 years ago I was at Acadia University, studying Computer Science. Planning my life, looking forward to spending it building systems to better the world.

10 years ago my technology career was effectively over. I had already been to Ottawa and back, and was planning on attending school again to become a minister.

Today, I’m five years into this “career” and loving it and the people I meet.

Also 10 years ago this morning the phone rang. It was my mother. I expected to hear “Happy Birthday” but instead I heard “Gram is in bed and isn’t good. They don’t expect her to make it.” I jumped in the car, picking up my mother on the way, and raced to her home, but we were too late. She had already passed, peacefully.

Over the last 10 years I lost other family members, including 2 other grandparents.

On Sunday, my grandfather celebrated his 90th birthday. This WW2 veteran is a hero to me, more so every time the vets I come in contact with through my work as Royal Canadian Legion Chaplain shares another story with me.

I have 2 beautiful, amazing children.

I have an absolutely beautiful and wonderful wife who has now shared half my life with me.

I have awesome friends, even if they do live too far away to see them often enough.

The last year has been particularly interesting as things have changed I didn’t expect to change, and where I thought there might be change, nothing has happened.

My hair has thinned a bit. I’m certainly grayer. I’m a few pounds heavier than I might like to be. But I’m still in reasonably good shape, probably the best I have been in over the last 10 years. I can still run with the 20 somethings on the basketball court… for a while.

I have little to complain about I guess. I have many blessings in my life. Things are pretty good.

I even got out for a quick ride on the scooter before dinner tonight, even if the temp did drop to slightly lower than I might have preferred to ride in.

Thank you to everyone who is now, and has been part of my life. You’ve all impacted me in your own ways, and all for the better.

Be blessed.