Fifty Blessings

Fifty years.

Turning forty seemed like a big deal at the time, but fifty? That's a number that gets your attention. As with any milestone, recollection of the journey never seems to fully capture the length of road already travelled, which is just another way of saying it all seems like a blur.

As the clock ticks past the half-century mark, it's tempting to look at one's life as a ledger of successes and failures as if the sum has any real value. It doesn't, by the way. For most of us, our greatest successes or failures have no bearing on the rest of the universe. I believe the only meaningful evaluation of one's life can be drawn from the ancient, but no less relevant adage 'count your blessings.' The precept is not exclusive to any belief system or religion, but the simple act of being grateful for what you have received is not only a good way to live, it's a good measure of a lifetime. For purposes of expediency, I won't recite fifty blessings as the title implies, but to go with a numerical theme, here are my top five.

Do what you love. Love what you do.

I have been blessed with a career that has been, shall we say, diverse. A friend once joked that he stopped writing my work number in pen due to the number of times I changed companies. A repeat victim of department closures, cutbacks and downsizing, my career would best be characterized as crossing a river by leaping from one stone to another. Along the way, I have been careful to not torch any bridges (though some fell apart of their own accord). I am equally fortunate that many of the people with whom I have worked are still friends and colleagues. As much of an adventure it has been, I've been blessed to continue to do what I love, working alongside some remarkable people.

Capturing the spark.

One of my most cherished blessings is creativity. In fairness, I believe everyone has this gift in one form or another, the challenge is finding an outlet for all that energy. In my case, it takes many forms, from a career in graphic arts, to public speaking and broadcasting. Having the ability to express one's ideas and imagination is a gift for which I am deeply grateful. When I see others discover and express their own gifts, it is nothing short of inspiring. The most important lesson learned over time is to set your own standards for creative expression. Work at it, nurture it, push your boundaries and do it for no other reason than feeding your own passion.

In the company of good friends.

Over the course of one's life friends are made, friends drift apart and then, in defiance of time and circumstance, come together again. These relationships can flourish and sometimes end in bitterness. Through it all, the gift of people in my life has never lost its value. It is those shared experiences that help us to grow and discover who we are. It's important to surround yourself with people who will support you through the darkest times, disagree with you or call you on your BS, and push you out of your confort zone. There are few things more gratifying than spending time laughing at life and yourself in the company of a good friend. I have been blessed to have experienced many incredible relationships in my life, and even more grateful that through challenging times, friendship and love have endured.

Finding 'the one'

Falling in love is easily one of the life's greatest blessings, but finding someone who is the perfect companion for life's journey is something truly astonishing. I have difficulty summoning up superlatives to describe my wife. In the simplest of words she is love, kindness, compassion and beauty inside and out. How she ever fell for a screwball like me is easily one of the great mysteries of my life. She comforts, supports, encourages and laughs with every fibre of her being. She throws herself at every task, giving freely and generously of her time to those in need. We laugh together until the tears fall, and cry together until the pain passes. We are a team in every sense of the word, covering when one falters and standing side-by-side through the myriad challenges and joys of life. I love her with all my heart, and it's a love that grows profoundly deeper with each passing day.

A family that grows together.

There are times in one's life when it might seem the contrary, but family is truly one of the greatest of all blessings. I know this in part because I have been fortunate to have grown up with a mom, dad and brothers who helped forge who I am today. I also know this, because I have lost both parents and a brother far too soon, yet their memories continue to guide me. That connection is what bridges the distance of time and space from my older brother, a bond that has grown stronger and deeper over time. That may have something to do with the way in which our parents stayed connected to their brothers and sisters, who lived in Scotland, England, France and the United States. In a time before social media and the internet, they always managed to find a way to share in one another's lives. Of course, families are not a fixed circle. They grow and intersect with others, drawing in new faces, with new chapters to add and experiences to share. A growing family has blessed me with another mom and dad, brothers and sisters, neices and nephews, and two wonderful sons who are the pride and joy of my life. I honestly don't know where I would be without the love and support of family,

The overarching blessing of life is the discovery that there is no wasted time. Every moment, be it tragic, joyful, mundane or miraculous, is precious. These moments define us by forcing us to grow, testing our mettle and revealing a side of ourselves we never knew. While the march of time subtracts some of the boundless energy of youth, what we gain is a richness of experience that is truly priceless. I am profoundly grateful for my fifty years of blessings which now includes the blessing of being fifty.

'Look to the future, because that is where you'll spend the rest of your life.'

George Burns

Winning Respect

In Montreal there is no higher position than coach of the Canadiens. With respect to Mayor Denis Corderre, the glaring media spotlight of Habs bench-boss is beyond compare. Every decision is scrutinized by a batallion of reporters, insiders, critics and pundits, not to mention legions of fans and couch-coaches worldwide.

It is simultaneously an incredible and soul-destroying job.

Michel Therrien doesn't have it easy. His NHL coaching resume, prior to his hiring (or technically rehiring) is story marked with near greatness and ignominious failure. At times he doesn't help his reputation by making decisions that can seem puzzling, risky and downright bizarre.

Which makes it all the more impressive that Michel Therrien carries on his coaching duties seemingly without giving a flying f*ck what anybody thinks.

Of course, there are plenty of legitimate factors contributing to the Habs' success this season: Carey Price elevating his game to the stratosphere, brilliant moves by General Manager Marc Bergevin and young players maturing at the right time. Without undermining the value of those factors, I would argue where the rubber truly meets the road is how those elements come together on the ice. Certainly Therrien's experience as coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins tells us that a skilled lineup doesn't always equate to success. Understanding the complexity of NHL-level strategy combined with the skills, mindset, egos and experience of your roster is a difficult balancing act at best.

Somehow in the face of his own personal history and the frenzied spotlight, Therrien has found a way to keep the Canadiens consistently atop the standings. Yet despite this record, he seems to have garnered only a modicum of grudging respect. In virtually any other franchise in the NHL (including Toronto) Michel Therrien would be hailed as a hero. 

Is Therrien the best coach in the NHL? Successful certainly, but maybe not the best. 

Is Therrien the best coach for the Canadiens right now? The answer has to be a resounding yes.

Turning around a team that failed to make the playoffs in 2012, with a roster laden with some notable dead weight, inexperienced and developing players, in the unforgiving and oft brutal spotlight of Montreal media and rabid fan base, is nothing short of remarkable. And yes, he's done so in two languages, despite having to endure crass mockery of his accent.

Love him or hate him, Michel Therrien is unwavering in his viewpoints and will coach the team the way he believes it should be coached until he gets fired, or retires. That is perhaps the only way a person not only copes with the stresses of coaching the Montreal Canadiens, but can be successful doing so.

I don't always agree with Michel Therrien's decisions, but I cannot fault his success in one of the toughest coaching jobs in professional sports.

Though I highly suspect he couldn't give a flying f*ck what I think.

Falling Leafs

The Twitterverse is abuzz today over so-called Toronto Maple Leafs fans tossing jerseys onto the Air Canada Centre's ice after another lackluster performance, a 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The chatter quickly escalated to a fevered cacophony when it was revealed that the jersey-throwers in question had been arrested, charged with public mischief, fined $5000 and banned from the Air Canada centre for a year.

Some opinions posit that the Maple Leafs organization is essentially applying a league-wide rule to the letter of the law. Citing player safety, under no circumstance shall fans throw foreign objects on to the ice, a rule that is often overlooked after the home-team scores a hat trick, or the occassional octopus in Detroit.

While the Leafs organization may argue that they are simply following standard procedure, make no mistake, the severity with which the organization is applying the law, and the public way in which it is doing so, is clearly an attempt to stem an an enormously embarassing trend.

From a hockey fan perspective, and moreover as a sports fan, while I do think the rules are being applied with notable zeal, what is being lost in the conversation is our understanding of what it means to be a team supporter.

Anyone who is a fan of a sports franchise knows that prolonged periods of success are never a given. There will be seasons of difficult losses or mediocre performances. For Leafs fans, that period has been intolerably long, and one could easily sympathize with their impatience, frustration and anger.

That said, to toss your team's jersey on their own playing surface is without question the height of disrespect. Rules and regulations notwithstanding, it is a public declaration not only withdrawing support for the current team, but also tossing aside its history and everything that it represents.

Yes, it is just a jersey. It isn't sacred or holy, however it still means something to those that wear it now and those that have in the past. In the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs that means a founding member of the NHL, 13 Stanley Cup championships and a huge fan-base whose loyalty, in the light of recent years, can only be admired.

There are other ways to express your displeasure for a team's performance (or lack thereof). You can boo them off the ice, you can stop showing up for games, you can write blogs or vent your frustration on talk radio.

But if you choose to reject the very symbol of the franchise you support, then perhaps you were never really a fan to begin with.

I believe things will turn around for the Leafs, there is too much at stake to maintain the status quo.

When it does, I'm sure there will be plenty of room on the bandwagon. I just hope the jersey-tossers enjoy the company of disingenuous hypocrites, because there'll be plenty.