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Ten Things of Thankful: 39 Years Edition

Political map of the world, September 1987. LOC 2011589552
A political map of the world circa 1987. The Soviet Union takes up a sizable portion.

A lot has happened in the last 39 years. The Berlin Wall came down. The Soviet Union collapsed. The Twin Towers fell. Technology has changed: landlines and phone booths are practically extinct, and random questions can be answered in seconds by asking Google, Siri, or Alexa. No longer do drivers keep the Thomas Guide in their cars; navigation systems will give turn-by-turn directions, and recalculate when the driver doesn't follow the directions. Some cars don't even need drivers. While many shoppers do their shopping in-person, some simply log into Amazon and have their item show up on their doorstep--sometimes within hours. 

I've seen pieces of the Berlin Wall. I've traveled to places that used to be behind the Iron Curtain. I've been to Ground Zero. I no longer have a house phone, and have looked up the answers to countless questions using my cell phone. I do not miss the stress of having to find the continuation of the street on a different page of the Thomas Guide. Although I know how to use a map, I really appreciate GPS navigation. I haven't used a driverless car, but I have seen them in action. And I really love the convenience of online shopping!

And while all that is well and good, the thing that has made the biggest impact for me over the past 39 years is my marriage to John.  We celebrated our anniversary this week. Growing our family through birth and adoption has brought so much joy to us. We've moved around a bit, but never felt like nomads. We've poured time and effort into each home and our family. Some experiences have been hard, but we've drawn closer together with each challenge. I look forward to the next 39 years together!

(As you can see, I didn't count for this week's Ten Things of Thankful, but this one thing counts for all ten.) 

What are you thankful for today? 


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