Days 4 - 6 Gratitude: America, Texas, Amarillo

For Days 4-6, I am giving thanks to some externalities that shape everything about me.  My family and I have extreme gratitude about the following:

• Day 4: Gratitude to be a citizen of the United States of America
• Day 5: Gratitude to be from the Great State of Texas
• Day 6: Gratitude for Amarillo

 

Day 4: Proud to be an American

My parents came to the United States in the 1970s legally.  My father came as a Master Degree’s student and found a job.  My mother came as his spouse.  They embraced my parents, showed them what is possible and set them on a course of living the American Dream for decades.  Much of our belief and faith in the future comes from seeing the promise of America over and over again.

 

My parents lived the American Dream – many people have been employed by their businesses, many buildings have been built, thousands of corporate taxes submitted.

My brother fought for America in Operation Enduring Freedom.

My spouse taught American school children in the Rio Grande.

And I am grateful to be an American.

 

Day 5: Texas Born.  Texas Bred.  And when I die, I will be Texas Dead.

Probably only second to knowing how much I love my family is knowing how much I love being a Texan.  History tells us why Texas is such a special place.  During the Texas Revolution, against Mexico, each and every single Texan that fought was a common person and many were rejected by other societies.  David Crockett – a legend at the time and now – was not re-elected to Congress.  Jim Bowie was wanted for land contract manipulation.  The list goes on and on.  Thus, Texas is where common people can do uncommon things.  We are a society that does not have classes of people or judge or tell people how to live, to go here and not go there, or how you must be with your family. 

I very much appreciate the belief and societal norms to reinforce that every single person can do great things.  I live in gratitude of that and in having that inspiration push and motivate me.

 

Day 6: Amarillo by Morning.  Amarillo by Afternoon.  Amarillo by Evening.  Amarillo by Night.

I am so blessed and lucky to be from Amarillo.  I spent most of my childhood years – certainly at least all of the memorable parts – in Amarillo.  This was a place where we had great teachers in school (Day 1 and Day 2 gratitude moments).  People were helpful and friendly, and they loved to live life.  Amarillo has a fair amount of economic and social class diversity.  While the majority of people are of the Christian faiths, there are many denominations.  And there are people like my – Hindus – and other religions.  It was not uncommon to see over a hundred people at our town’s prayers.  People had pride in how they are.

 More than anything, this town / area embraced my immigrant parents when they came from India.  They gave them opportunities to learn (local universities), to work (professional services firms), and to be successful entrepreneurs.  They created the foundation in my brother and I to go on and earn multiple advanced degrees from the top universities in the world and to have the families that we have now.  I look at my high school classmates on Facebook in awe of the great things they are all doing and the great things they have overcome.

I am indeed very much fortunate and have a lot of gratitude about being from Amarillo.