  It's a rainy, cold early spring night here in southeast PA. A good cup of tea and a feeling of contentment after a workout put me in a contemplative mood on nights like this.
The world around me is quiet; the only things I can hear are the patter of the rain, the whine of my computer, my wife at her computer in the other room, and my stepson getting ready for bed upstairs. So what should I contemplate? How about those things for which I am grateful: I am grateful that I and my loved ones are warm, dry, not hungry, not thirsty, and enjoy the fruits of modern technology and a bountiful land.
I am grateful for my parents, who raised themselves from a modest station through hard work and tenacity and did the best they could to raise good children. I am grateful to the men who made possible a nation of laws wherein it is possible to pursue one's dreams relatively unmolested, resulting in historically unprecedented prosperity and freedom.
I am grateful to the men and women, past, present, and future, who have and do and will put their lives on the line to ensure that me and mine can live in peace and security. And I must admit, I am grateful to God -- if he/she/it exists (just can't bring yourself to say it, can you Jon? ) -- who has seen fit to bless me and mine with the best things in life. Good night, dear reader.
Count your blessings and go with God. (There, I said it: Go with God. ) (But do you believe it, truly believe that God exists? ) (I don't know. I struggle against it, but something within me yearns for faith. I can't explain why.
) 
