What I Owe

It is my belief that the amount of debt that I have incurred during my long journey thru this life can never be fully repaid by a mortal man such as me. How much can it be? One debt that I owe that I can never adequately repay is the love and understanding of my cherished wife who has shared her life with me. What amount can be assessed, matter not what the endeavor, matter not the task, this wife of mine is always there to assist, never complaining while shouldering more than her share of the load? How do I know an amount to be levied or know what I owe for the four beautiful children that she bore and shepherd through their early life and seen them on their way? I have nothing to pay to cover the debt of seeing these same children that I am proud to call my own, become strong productive members of our society now with children of their own. What amount is now owing for the pleasure that I see as I watch how well these grandchildren have made a start on their own families, lives and careers as they move toward future years? What amount do I owe for the gift of this life that has been given to me by the generations that have gone before, that allowed me to be born into this land of the free? What is my share of the debt owing to the young men and women that serve in our military and fight and die for us each day as others have done before, yet thankfully I personally have never had to experience the horrors of a war? What is the value of my place upon a land of plenty where in this life I have never known real hunger or lacked for medical care in my time of need or longed for just a spark of hope? What do I owe for the sights that I see as I gaze at the mountains, rivers and the sea that spread out before us all as we travel across this land? I know that these debts cannot be paid in mere monetary terms but only by showing my deep appreciation and a heartfelt “thank you” while explaining to all how much they all have meant to me? Conveyance of this message hopefully may help to render full payment and hopefully settle the score. I can only hope that will be the case.