Thanksgiving is over now, and I have had time to reflect on all that I am thankful of. My mind instantly drifts to the time I spent living with my mom and dad. I have always had a pretty good life. I was able to spend my entire childhood growing up with two parents that loved each other dearly. My mom and dad are an excellent example of what marriage is really about. Helping each other through the tough times in the lives of one another and always showing love to their children. The love that they showed me and my two sisters was not an endless supply of money, but was instead a steady homelife. Dad would work countless hours either on the road or at the office to provide all of the necessities to his family. We all didn't get brand new cars when we turned sixteen, but instead we were given approximately twenty one years of common sense, compassion for your neighbor, hard work and honesty will get you where you need to go education. I guess you could call it the Stratford Drive University. I am proud to be an alumni! Now, don't get me wrong. I didn't always agree with the course of study that my parents laid out in front of me. In fact, I usually found a way to argue just about every one of them. I did not understand why I could not have a free car when I turned sixteen. I did not understand why I was not allowed to stay out without my parents knowing where I was going. And, I certainly did not understand why my father ever let my little sister start dating. I still vow, to this day, that my daughter will be single until she is retired. My two sisters taught me that looking out for someone else was part of everybody's duty as an honest person. Whether it was picking up my little sister and driving her home when I saw her walking down the street with a boy, or talking to my older sister when times got tough for one of us. My little sister gave me a reason to be a big brother and my older sister gave me a reason to be a little brother seeking advice. My mother taught me that  patience is a virtue when you are a parent. I still cannot beleive that I made it all the way through college without her knocking any of my teeth out. It's not that she didn't want to I am sure. It's simply that making your point through  virtue gets you further. I can still remember as if it were yesterday, walking out of the hospital room after my daughter was born. Simply out of instinct, I walked straight to my mom and dad, hugged them and bawled on their shoulders like a little baby. It says a lot about the bond between parent and child when a moment like that, in front of several people, just seemed like the natural thing to do. To this day, I still say I love you to my mom and dad as well as my two sisters. The words are not simply protocol. We mean it! To my mom: Thank you for being an example to me in days past and future. I admire your strong will and convictions. I love the fact that you don't always have to have the most expensive pleasures in life and admire you like you will never know. I love the fact that you could get ready for work, even though I was asleep in front of the heater on the bathroom floor. Most of all, thank you for raising me with enough patience so that I may also raise my children with a steady hand. I could not have asked for a better mom. Even though you ran onto the field during one of my flag football games! Oh, and one more thing, thank you for acting like you enjoyed it when I made you that nasty looking homeade ash tray. I cannot beleive that was actually a grade school project! To my dad: Thank you for teaching me what a dad is supposed to do. Nothing should be given without certain sacrafices. It was a lesson that will pay dividends for my entire life. Thank you for instilling in me the lesson that everything is attainable through hard work. You have given me a leg up in today's world becasue of your example. Thank you for showing me how to love your wife. Thank you for talking to me when I was having some pretty challenging times. Your advice was priceless and that meant more to me than I have ever told you! You are a great example to go by dad, and I am proud to call you dad. Oh, and one more thing, thank you for  teaching me that it is ok to sleep with your own brother on the couch. George, scoot over. To my two sisters: Oh boy, here we go. You guys are great! I love the fact that you two had to share a 6 by 10 bedroom while I got to hang out in my 6 by 11 bachelor pad. I often think back to the days of passing messages to each other's room with a coat hanger. I enjoyed silly stringing your room and will never forget family band practice. Mel playing the saxaphone, trying to impress that "Fat Matt" guy and me blowing as hard as I could so mom would just tell me to stop. Denise, I absolutely loved embarassing you as much as I could during our high school career. I though that if I could embarass you enough, maybe the boys would just stay away! Mel, you were always so generous to me. You would always let me pick any item out of your room if I would simply leave. Boy, you taught me! Oh, by the way Denise, you do not give the right away to somebody who is in the turn lane on a highway! I love you all!