STRICTLY OBSERVING: Giving thanks

By ZACH COOLEY/Columnist

It is always a humbling exercise to evaluate the things for which I have to be thankful.  I have the privilege of sharing a brief overview of my blessings with you at this time annually.  While I could never justifiably elaborate on everything for which I am grateful to God, I can say without reservation that this has been the best year of my life so far.  There are far too many people to thank for this than I am allowed to mention in my allotted space, so I’ll do my best to hit the high points.
As always, I must express my undying gratitude to my family, all of whom have been a constant source of care, support, comfort and security for me even when I may not fully appreciate their efforts.  My parents continue to sacrifice much of their lives and personal time so that I can be a functional member of society and lead as normal a social life as possible despite my having cerebral palsy.  They also are responsible for my personal care until they are physically incapacitated, an effort for which eternal thanks would never be enough.  I’m also very grateful for my sister whom I am proud to say has grown into a kind, beautiful and intelligent young woman.  She moved off to college at Virginia Tech this year and although it was very hard to let her go, I’m very proud of her accomplishments and treasure the close relationship we have always possessed.  I also express my deepest appreciation to my grandmother who, for the past six years, has served as my personal attendant.  I’m thankful that she is able to care for me and that we can share joyful experiences together every day. 
I also am continually grateful to my friend and pastor, the Rev. Joe Mack Taylor, and the rest of my church family at Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church.  I’m thrilled to be able to continue my active membership within the church where I serve as their director of communications, Sunday school teacher and co-captain of the Relay for Life team with my dear friend Cindy Fields.  As teacher of the college-aged class, I’m blessed to interact with my one and only student Clay Vaught.  I feel honored to be asked to teach him God’s lessons and to help him better understand God’s personal plan for his life.  In the process, I’m learning a great deal about my own personal faith and plan as a Christian and pray that Clay is benefiting from my words in a positive way as well.
If you are regular reader of mine, you are probably aware that my community and my wonderful friends within it are extremely important to me.  These are the people who help me to laugh and enjoy my life without worry.  They treat me like one of their own and go out of their way to ensure that I enjoy myself when I am in their company.  As I said before, this has been unquestionably the greatest year of my life.  I owe that, in great part, to a group of incredible people whose invaluable friendship is far beyond anything I deserve.  First, I thank my buddy Shane King who still sees fit to devote every one of his Monday nights to my company.  In addition to going to movies and dinner, we have had the pleasure of seeing our favorite comedian/ventriloquist Jeff Dunham live twice more, as well as rock acts 3 Doors Down and Hinder.  Shane has also helped me to realize a dream of mine, sort of.  With my reflexes rendering me unable to play video games with my friend, an avid gamer, I am now able to join him by attempting the vocals on Guitar Hero 4, 5 and Smash Hits.  While I’ve always dreamed of being a rock star, the complete absence of musical talent has hindered my fulfillment.  This game allows me to experience what it’s like to sing the songs without having to be a professional.  We have a great time playing the game.  I only wish I could move and look like my animated character.
I also now have a Sunday evening tradition of dinner and card games with another of my dearest friends, Seth Turski.  Together, we have also seen comedian Bill Engvall and pop group Maroon 5 live in concert.  Though I only met Seth this past year, he and his brother Aaron treat me as a member of their extended family.  Along with my friend Josh Greer, we have formed a weekly custom in which I have always wanted to participate.  From TV shows as old as I Love Lucy to current ones such as Two and a Half Men, it is customary for a group of friends to get together for a weekly card game.  It seems to be the perfect outlet for fellowship, good conversation and lots of laughs.  All my life, I have wanted that sort of tradition as part of my routine.  Thanks to all the aforementioned gentlemen and the various others who have joined us over the past few months, I’ve been successfully able to host a weekly card game, a ritual I hope to continue for years to come.  Our favorite Applebee’s waitress, Danielle Umberger, always takes exceptional care of us at dinner beforehand. We also have become regulars at Christopher’s Lounge, which has been a great place to spend our Friday nights with their costume parties and relaxed, fun atmosphere.  I would like to thank my friends Jaman Green and Ryan Yates for being so kind to us there.
My newly exciting life has resulted in the most exciting year for my column as well.  Thanks to my buddies Andrew Stafford, Jarrett Kuehl and Jacob Sharitz, I have seen such legendary acts as Heart, Kenny Loggins and Jeff Foxworthy live as well as the best in modern-day entertainment via Coldplay and Dane Cook.  I even got to share with you a personal interview with internationally renowned comedian Colin Mochrie from Whose Line Is It Anyway, the biggest thrill of my career.  Everything I’ve mentioned and more has come by God’s grace.  I don’t take that for granted and hope it all continues!
A graduate of Wytheville Community College, Zach Cooley lives in Wytheville. Contact him at .