Trust me when I tell you this: I am the luckiest of men. I'll soon be 64 years old, I'm a Type 1 diabetic, I have COPD and use supplemental oxygen 24/7. I have a degenerative disease that will slowly rob me of the use of my legs and put me into a wheel chair in a couple of years.

And none of this matters, not in the least. I would not trade one moment of my life for yours. My doctors tell me that I'm probably going to live a long life. And that, dear friends, is something I can cheerfully wrap my mind around.

I am blessed beyond reason. I've been married to a woman whom I love, and like and enjoy for the last 32 years. My sons are turning into humans (for the most part) and I like what I see. I have a job where I am liked, and which I enjoy tremendously. They understand my limitations and act heroically to make sure that I can continue to do my job, contribute to their business and do so without undue wear and tear on my body. And best of all, the very best of all a tiny, gentle human being, my beloved little granddaughter holds my heart carefully in her hands.

We've been raising her for 4 of her 5 years, and she is a miracle a profoundly gifted, kind, gentle and loving little person. How could anything be wrong in the world when you have a little girl sleeping in your arms, her head under your chin, and her small hand balled in the fabric of your shirt, hanging on?

Lily is a person of intense interests and fascinations. We watch train videos together, discuss the beauty of steam locomotives and their relative merits, and listen to whistles. She loves steam whistles and is fascinated by the variety among them. I swear that I've never done anything to encourage this, though I'm delighted that this is an interest of hers.

As mobility becomes more and more of an issue for me, I doubt that I will ever occupy the cab of a running locomotive, will never chase a big locomotive again, and rarely stand trackside for the passing of big steam. It is just too difficult. And it matters not at all.

I have my vicarious trackside, steamlocomotive.info where I can experience a thousand different locomotives at a sitting if I choose. I can run a Youtube video of 261 or 844 or 765 and watch the wonder and joy in my little one's eyes. Seeing the world as she sees it is a gift beyond price.

So, I choose to live a joyous life. It is quite easy to do, the things that I love and enjoy are always with me, the things that I have lost do not matter much.

I wanted to tell you all, how very much your kind words have meant to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for enriching my life with your kindness and friendship.

Your regularly scheduled curmudgeon (me) will return soon.

Merry Christmas to all

OT? I think we could all use a dose of this OT message. When things like Newtown CT, the economy, the merits of locomotive X vs. Y, etc take us to a negative place, it's the spirits of people like you that are just what the doctor ordered. You have a wonderful outlook on life, and I (for one) need to take that to heart.

Thank you for sharing this, and I wish you continued blessings and happiness!

Indeed a joyous life, Doug. My mom always said she would bloom where she was planted and made a joyous life wherever that was.

Blessed be, Doug, blessed be.

Agreed, yours is a very wonderful message to all of us. I now work in a nursing home and my residents teach me daily on how I would want to be, or not to be in their situations. While my own health is realitively good, "I am in it" all the time. Your wonderful message {and I mean it, it is wonderful} to me had the most powerful message if people catch it. You choose to and have chosen too have a meaningful life and continue to regardless of the physical decline. "Choice" is what makes it or breaks it. Very inspirational post. All of us whether on this RYPN site, at work, at home, somewhere in our lives take ourselves way to serious. We all need to take a break and acknowledge what is really important and that which is more secondary in nature. "If you want to change the world, change yourself".

A Merry Chistmas from the king of Scruges, Cheers, John.

Thanks Doug for reminding us of what really counts especially at Christmas time.

As the old saying goes.....A living is measured by what you get....a life is measured by what you give!

Merry Christmas and a steamy new year!! Ross Rowland

"Stop and take stock of your blessings" is always a good idea.
I had two very close calls in the military, one involving a very nasty spill in a helicopter which not everyone made it out from.
Since that day, I count myself lucky every day that I'm upright and still breathing. I have a smart (and cute) wife, a goofy little dachshund, and an extended family who I feel warm fuzzies for constantly. It ain't a perfect life, and I have my gripes as anyone. But you have to stop and realize how lucky you are from time to time. Sadly, we normally only think this when something awful happens to someone else.
You don't have to 'ife like you are dying' or some cheesy catch-phrase as that. Just enjoy what you have and revel in it. You don't have to go bungee jumping or rock climbing everyday to feel alive (I want to slap people who say, "At least he/she died doing what they loved," I can promise you that if you get killed doing something silly, your last thought ISN'T going to be you're glad to cashed out early doing some foolish stunt). Go watch a train DVD if that's what you want. Just do what brings you joy from time to time. You owe it to yourself every now and then to stop and enjoy being alive.
It sure beats the alternative, trust me.

That's a very uplifting read for me with all the calamaties in the world today coupled with my personal losses the last 5 months.
We should all take the time to thank the Lord for what he has given us and make the best of it. Too often these days, everyone wants to be a victim or blame others for everything but it all really boils down to being thankful for what you have.
You don't have to look far to find someone who wishes they were as well off as you.

Merry Christmas RYPN

Don Wirth

What can I say? What can I add to the original post, and to those that have followed?

Thank you for reminding us of what we should value. Thank you for giving us an example of how to face things like reduced mobility, and the eventual end of our days.

Incidently, this is also a reminder of the usefulness of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Let us remember, even as we work to preserve our old railroad equipment and buildings, that some of us may have movement problems in the future, and that those provisions may help us to continue to enjoy railroading in some form.