As I write this blog post, my son Ben is down the oceanfront and into a big blitz of stripers on this Thanksgiving morning. Man, this has been a great striper year in RI. Really one of the best of all time. What is going on now is the grand finale to a year filled with fishing fireworks. We are lucky for what we have here in RI…..great fishing, loads of stripers, good access and loads of places to fish.
I will be spending Thanksgiving at my son Matt’s house with my sons and their wives along with the grandkids. As many of you know, I have four sons that I am very proud of. You often see photos of them fishing on this blog. While they were a handful when they were young, they all grew up to be very good students, great athletes, dedicated workers, family oriented and wonderful people who are all well-liked by everyone who knows them. Since they all live within an hour of us, we see each other often, and we still fish a lot together, and I am really thankful for that.
Three of my sons, Matt, Chris and Ben are married to wonderful girls who are similar to them. I also now have four grandchildren. Just in the last year we added two new grandchildren to the family. These kids, like their parents, are the BEST. The grandkids remind me so much of what my kids were like when they were young. All of them have a sense of adventure like their fathers and they have all a zest for life even at their young ages. They all have big personalities and smiles that are infectious. All I have to do is smile at them and they are quick to return the joy. I hope I am still around when they get a bit older. Can’t wait for the day that they join me in the surf fishing for stripers.
In the whole scheme of things, family is the most important part of life for me. Fishing is simply a way to relax and enjoy the outdoors, a welcome diversion for me, and something I really enjoy. Retirement and good health allows me the opportunity to fish just about every single day.
As I get older I really cherish the times I can get out and fish because I know it won’t last forever. But, I also love spending time with my own kids and the grandkids. I am lucky the way things turned out. And, I am forever thankful for my wonderful and growing family.
My four bundles of joy, all future fishing buddies!
