November is a time when we reflect on the things we're thankful for. We often think about family, friends, good health, and the material things that make our lives comfortable. But I think we should also take a moment to appreciate the intangibles too, like opportunities and experiences that enrich our lives.

Traveling, skiing, playing sports, exploring new hobbies, and learning to play a musical instrument are just a few examples. Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily routines that we forget how fortunate we are to have so many opportunities.

I don't think most kids realize how fortunate they are to be able to participate in extracurricular activities like music lessons. I remember when I was a kid, I thought everyone lived the same way our family did. It wasn't until I spent the night at my friend Tracy Troutman's house in fourth grade that I discovered just how different families could be.

Tracy asked me if I wanted eggs for breakfast and I literally gasped when she pulled out a skillet and started scrambling eggs all by herself on the stove! It was a profound moment in my young life. What else could kids my age do that I wasn't allowed to do?

As I grew up, I discovered there were quite a few things other kids were allowed to do that I wasn't. But there was something I got to do that none of my friends did. I took piano lessons.

It never occurred to me that some kids might have wanted to learn to play the piano but didn't have the opportunity. I just assumed they weren't interested. It wasn't until I had children of my own that I really began to appreciate how fortunate I was to have had the chance to take music lessons.

As a kid, you don't think about the sacrifices parents make to give their children opportunities they might not otherwise have.

I was 50 years old when I moved to Colorado. I had a bit of a Tracy Troutman moment when I discovered that a lot of families head to the mountains on weekends to go skiing. Growing up in the Midwest, the only opportunity we had to "ski" was at a little place in Eureka, Missouri with a snow machine and a man-made hill. Not quite the same thing.