lucky

I begin a new job on Tuesday. I'm excited about it. But more importantly, my new situation has blessed me with two pairs of mentors, a couple of older couples who've been married for a long time, and who've had long, effective and ethical careers in service to others.

I want to crow a little bit about the married part here. I can't believe how lucky Allie and I are to have been given such incredible role models at the exact moment we were planning our wedding. Allie's probably the luckier one in that regard, at least on the surface, because I've suddenly got two outspoken women watching my every move, telling me to treat my woman good.

Case in point: I was e-mailing Gloria back and forth about some minor nuisance or another when she added a PS to one of her notes: "Now, go be nice to Allie - I suggest 24 things today."

This refers to her secret to happiness: Everyday, give your wife 6 reasons why you're lucky to have her. Or 12. It depends on the day. I guess the e-mail in question called for 24.

Believe it or not, it's not the easiest habit to get into, despite the many, many reasons I'm lucky. You know, you get busy, and you forget to do the things that are most important.

But today, on such a beautiful day, with such an incredible life change and opportunity looming on the horizon, and, above all, with such and incredibly beautiful wife, I decided to go the full 24.

Amazing experience. That's all I have to say.

And, of course, I mispoke. I'm much luckier. So long as Allie is happy, I'm the luckiest man alive.