“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.”

These words were spoken by Seneca, a stoic philosopher from Ancient Rome. I don’t call myself a wise man, but I am content with my lot. I have been blessed and I feel grateful for the wonderful family, friends, and associates I have in my life.

It’s been a challenging year for me to stay healthy. Three times I was in hospital emergency rooms, twice for back problems that left me with no comfortable position to ease the pain and just recently I was afflicted with the shingles virus that attacked one side of my face and my head. It’s a terrible disease caused burning blisters, vicious headaches, sore throats, debilitating fatigue and I had concern about vision loss in my right eye as well as permanent nerve damage from the affected area.

I write this column with no self-pity. I have never felt so grateful for the life I’m living than I do right now.

I’ll begin with the wonderful support I have received from my Times News editor, Marta Gouger and my sports editors, Rod Heckman and Pat Matsinko. My condition has taken me off the road from covering local sports which has placed extra responsibility upon the sportswriters we do have and I’m thankful that they have met these difficult challenges.

Although I am retired from my teaching career since 2011, four of my former colleagues and I are still close friends. Sean Cuffe, Sandor Csapo, and Maddie Shpak stay in touch with wonderful phone conversations. These friendships have transcended from 40-50 years of time passing and they are gifts I unwrap and hold close to my heart each time I hear from them.

Then there is Jeff Grose. We collaborated for the last two years to write his memoir, a journey that began with childhood abuse and the ensuing anger that led to athletic success to addiction and now to recovery and redemption. Through the tears and the laughter, Jeff and I have become soulmates.

Another special friend who has since moved to Panama is Billy Nyers. I was his football coach when he was 14. We drifted apart, but the courage of this man is nothing short of extraordinary. He has suffered through more than a dozen serious surgeries and a divorce that has left him penniless. He holds hope for better days and I’d give him my right arm if that would guarantee he will get them.

I’m grateful to my bowling buddies: Vern, Chuck, Jack, Neil, Tom, and George for putting up with my complaining about my non-competitive scores!

My best friend, Mike Tedesco and I will be closing upon 60 years of a friendship that has endured more trials and tribulations than most marriages. To say we have always been there for each other is understatement.

Terry Sawicki has been another great friend of 50 years. She’s a regular reader of my columns and sends me emails about the ones she likes.

Sharon Kay John is a woman with a heart of gold. She’s filled with love, compassion and empathy for all of humanity. Seven years ago, we met and despite the challenges she has faced with the uncertainties of what our tomorrows will bring, I honestly wonder if I’d be alive today if this incredible woman had not been by my side.

I am thankful to have visited my Aunt Dolly and my cousins in Florida twice in the last few years and this Thanksgiving, I will once again be having dinner in the company of my cousins and my niece in New Jersey.

I continue to be blessed by my son, Richie and my daughter, Sadie as they move through their college years at Lehigh and at Pittsburgh. Despite their heavy work loads and living away from home, they never forget to call or text me. I am one damn proud dad of two great kids and in this world burdened with too many children from broken-hearted families, I do not take the love that we share for granted.

I am grateful to all of you, my readers who open the page to my Saturday morning columns. I know not most of your names, but your emails have brightened my days and have inspired me to try to write something relevant and thought provoking every week.

Author Melanie Beattie wrote, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more.” Seneca said the same words in Ancient Rome. We need no more than what we have if we are blessed with the love of family and friends. We must hold close the people who sustain us and motivate us to get up each morning and face a new day.

Author Steve Mariboli wrote, “When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully. When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light. When there is injustice, dare to condemn it. When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back. When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some. When love hurts you, dare to love again. When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal. When another is lost, dare to help them find a way.”

I would add that when our day ends, live each moment with the appreciation that we are alive, not knowing the number of breaths we have left which could be one or millions more.

Perhaps Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best. “Live well. Love much and laugh often. To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. That is to have succeeded.”