Daily Gratitude: As we enter the “holiday” season full on, maybe it’s time to ask ourselves what we really need. It’s funny..as I was thinking about this, I kept going back to what’s in my pack for the Vol State race across Tennessee. My goal there is to have my pack as light as possible as I have to carry it for 10 days 20-21 hours a day. I now have a series of questions I ask myself about every piece of gear I carry. So, when I examined myself and my life and looked at what I really need beyond the basic human needs (food, water, sleep, shelter, air) I realized that I “need” (I think it’s a relative term and to some these might seem luxury items but they are my “needs”): my medical prescriptions, my glasses and my computer. Some days I’d say my microwave and instant pot but that’s only being playful. My computer contains all of my past ideas and books I’m working on. It also has all the apps to interact with the world (mostly necessary for financial stuff). One could say that’s living in the past and they might be right. Could I live without it? Yes. Maybe my phone is more important. I’ll have to examine that. My glasses are necessary so I can learn and people must continue to learn or they lose interest in life. Why didn’t I say that my thousand or so books aren’t necessary? Because I can find them in a library or a bookstore. You’re probably scoffing and saying “you didn’t lost money” and you’re right because what I was concentrating on were material objects in or around my home. I hope that makes sense. This is an ongoing process. What is necessary for me really is human interaction and being able to give to others. And that’s important to me for more than just one or two months of the year. What can you give to others that will really show them you love and value them? Some gift from a store? Or a note telling them how much they mean to you? Or a donation to a charity in their name? Just think about it