I woke up this morning thinking about last evening.  Donna, my wife,and I spent the evening at the Quail Hollow Country Club participating in a charity poker event.  The event sponsor was Tampa Leads and Philanthropy, a group of local business owners of whom I am a member.

 

This was only the sixth or seventh time in my life that I have played poker.  It was Donna’s first.  It was also the first time that she had met some of the members and that I had met member’s spouses.  During the course of the evening, it was impossible not to notice the laughing and the joy among the 40 some persons present.  There were a  few VERY good poker players there.  There were also some less than professional level players.  Yet….they all had one thing in common:  they were having a good time!

 

Waking up this morning, I couldn’t get out of my mind how very blessed I am to have people like these in my life. 

 

There is a potential hurricane heading our way in the Gulf of Mexico.  The Republican National Convention begins this week in Tampa and the Democrats will do the same in Charlotte next week.  Syria, Iran, Israel, Haiti, economic problems in Europe, high unemployment and housing problems in the United States are all still on the surface ready to bubble over. 

 

For at least one evening, though, all of us in that room were able to put aside our cares and our problems and have a good time enjoying one another’s fellowship and company.  In the play “Jesus Christ Superstar,” there is a song with apropos lyrics:

 

                “Try not to turn on to,

                Try not to get worried,

                Problems that upset.

                You know everything’s alright, everything’s fine.

                …Let the world turn without you tonight.”

 

I hope that in the days ahead you will find time to enjoy yourself and the company of people you love and care about.  It feels REALLY good!