Yesterday was hard because of all of the emotions of the day. So this morning I read this by Likeks and I realize why my life is so great. I have a family and we love each other. When 9/11 happened I was not married. I was 17 days away from getting engaged to the most beautiful woman in the world. She is my Soulmate, my Helpmate. Family brings it all around. Life is a good thing, dont waste it!

LILEKS (James) The Bleat: At some point you just tire of putting it all in solemn, respectful terms, and you think: this day just sucks and it?s always going to suck. Terrorism sucks. War sucks. Death sucks. Murder sucks even harder.

Then you?re home. Barky dog, happy daughter, lovely smiling wife. This lifts the spirits. A pizza helps. Play with Gnat; give Jasper a bath, which he endures better than he usually does. Sunset comes. It starts to rain.

It hasn?t rained here in seven weeks. The lawns are dead; the trees sag; even hardy evergreens have brown dead boughs. We need rain. And here it is: steady, calm, insistent. Health and life pouring back into the ground. It brings you back around; standing on the porch I thought: day's done, family's fine, and the trees are having a drink. I'm grateful for this.

Note to self: be grateful more often.