It’s a sunny Thanksgiving Day here in beautiful Corfu Greece. Even though they don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Greece, and why would they, I try to use this day as a way of being thankful for everything that I have.....so here goes;

1). I'm thankful that my grandparents had the courage to leave their country and settle in America. I couldn't imagine growing up anywhere else.

2). I'm thankful for my Grandpa who always reminded me how lucky I was to be growing up in the land of opportunity and to make the most of every opportunity that came my way because that's why he came to America in the first place....for me!

3). I'm thankful for the kick in the backside my Grandpa gave me when I forgot how lucky I was or when I didn't make the most of every opportunity I was given and for him reminding me over and over how lucky I was to be living in the land of opportunity.

4). I'm thankful for my parents who taught me that sacrifice and hard work were the only way to make your dreams come true.

5). I'm thankful for my longtime coach who put a tennis racquet in a poor kids hand and not only taught him how to play but taught him about life as well.

6). I'm thankful to that same coach for teaching that poor kid how to make every postcard his reality and to reach for the sky in everything that he did.

7). I'm thankful once again to that same coach who taught that poor kid that today's failures are tomorrows successes and for having the patience to hang in there with him when the kid didn't believe him or even in himself.

8). I'm thankful for the kids and adults who laughed when a skinny little poor kid informed them he and his racquet would one day travel the world. Guess we saw how that turned out!

9). I'm thankful for every bad decision I ever made as I learned important life lessons because of them!

10). I'm thankful for every person I have ever met. Some good, some not so good but I learned something from every one of them.

11). I'm thankful that I'm able to tell the people personally closest to me how lucky I am to have them in my life so they don't have to read about it here!

I'll bet you're all thankful I'm finished, huh?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!