Listen, & say thank you

You'll have to pardon the stream of consciousness entry, but this news story touched a chord with me tonight. Having lost my grandfather and great-uncle within the last year, I suppose I am particularly sensitive to the passages of time and their effect on the complacent, status quo nature of so many of our lives. My hangup is this: Do you KNOW your forebearers? I'm not talking about the relatives who came over the ship 150+ years ago. I'm talking about your grandparents, if you are lucky enough to still have them, or your parents, or aunts and uncles. These people you think have led such ordinary lives are the sources of some of the funniest/scariest/most patriotic/sadist/most inspiring stories you've NEVER HEARD. And, like so many of us, they LOVE to tell them, to reminisce about days gone by, things they've done, lives they've lived. So take the time to listen. It means the world to the storyteller, and you'll find it means something to you as the listener - it gives you a new perspective on your life, the path they've taken, appreciation of the small triumphs of the human spirit, and the best opportunity to thank those to whom you owe it all. It is an easy thing to say "Thank You," but too often it is the most easily forgotten. So do it today - it's worth is immeasurable, and you never know when is the last time you'll be able to say it.