Thought for the Week

By Robert Hodes
East Meets West Dojo

"Thanksgiving / Arigato - 'Look At What You Have'"

I am deeply honored to be able to do the thought for the week this week. Because of the holiday, I think that "Thanksgiving/Arigato - 'Look At What You Have'", is very appropriate. In the Thanksgiving holiday we all are supposed to take time to be thankful for what God has given us. It is a time to think about what we have, as opposed to thinking about what we do not have.

As many of you are aware, the last six months have been trying for the East Meets West Dojo. What follows is a personal list of things I am thankful for anyway. Perhaps I can inspire you to create a list of your own.

I am thankful that I am breathing. I am thankful that God , whatever he, she, it, or they might be, is such an important part of my life. I am thankful for my wife, my father, my brother and sister, and for my son, Natanel. I am thankful for KATA. I am thankful for Hanshi and Kyoshi. I am thankful to Sensei Judy for signing me up to do Karate. I am thankful for my students. I am thankful to be able to teach; that which I know I do not know, and that which I very humbly think I know.  I am thankful for the children who run to me to hug me. I am thankful for the children that give me a hard time. I am thankful for losing the physical space known as a "dojo" and for retaining the students also known as a "dojo". I am thankful for being given an opportunity to have some idea of who my friends are and who my friends might not be. I am thankful for the Earth. I am thankful for the experience of opening the physical space known as a "dojo" six times. I am thankful to remain a memory in the minds of so many "former" students. I am thankful for all of the spirit I have witnessed. I am thankful for being blessed. I am thankful for learning how to forgive. I am thankful for being forgiven. I am thankful for not having a phone or address in my own name and for learning how unimportant it really is. I am thankful for Shorin Ryu for imbuing me with the tenacity to never give up! I am thankful that there is still so much to do. I am thankful that I continue to grow. I am thankful that every move of every kata is flawed. I am thankful for life, till my dying breath. I am thankful for breathing.