The gods keep me humble.

More and more, I am understanding that the gods givith and the gods taketh. That nothing is permanent. For instance, the gods gave me Jeanne. And I had Jeanne for many years. But the gods also took Jeanne. And then the gods gave me another love. The gods gave me life 73 years ago, too. And sooner or later, the gods will take my life. The gods have given me much joy and happiness. And some sadness, too. Even the baseball gods toy with me. They givith and they taketh. I don’t know from one moment to the next whether it will be give or take. Tonight the baseball gods taketh. But it makes me philosophical. Reflective. And that’s inherently good. The gods want me to think. To appreciate what I have. More so than mourn what I don’t have. Maybe that’s the difference between sadness and happiness. I’m happy when I contemplate all that I have. But when I lament about what I don’t have, I’m something less than happy. Less than appreciative. I guess I get what I deserve. An abundance of happiness, really. With doses of sadness and unhappiness mixed in -- the gods' way of keeping me humble. --Jim Broede