What I’m Thankful For This Year

Nicole Westbrook isn’t the only one who’s excited that tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

I, too, am a big fan of the day.

I love the turkey and gravy, the good times with family and friends, the Macy’s parade, the big football games (go Patriots!), and the chance to pause and reflect on what I’m thankful for … before we all head out to the mall and/or our favorite small businesses to partake in holiday shopping.

It’s been an interesting year for me, but as Nicole herself says, “Can’t be hateful, gotta be grateful.” So in that spirit, here’s a list of some of the many people and things I’m thankful for this year:

• That all my friends and family who were in the path of Hurricane Sandy are safe, healthy, and unharmed (as far as I know)

• Live from Daryl’s House

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pancakes at In a Pickle

• “Other opportunities”

• Brands, like Roots and Wegmans, that write back to customers on Twitter

• FaceTime, for letting me speak with and see my niece and nephews

• Ben and Kate

• Paul Thomas Anderson and Christopher Nolan

• Industry colleagues and genuine thought leaders like Loren McDonald, Ryan Phelan, Stephanie Miller, Dela Quist, Ann Handley, Scott Stratten, Joe Chernov, C.C. Chapman, and Joe Pulizzi, for sharing their insights on Twitter, in articles and books, at conferences, and in one-on-one conversations, and for making me want to be better at what I do for a living

• fun., the studio version and the live act

• The end seat at the counter at Johnny’s Luncheonette

• Clients, for giving me work and keeping me busy

• 2nd St. Creamery’s Truck Stop Fudge, and Klout for the perk that introduced me to this awesome ice cream

• The iPad version of Entertainment Weekly

• That Barack Obama won the election

• The ability to hide certain people’s updates on Facebook

• Folks like Chris Donald, Jordan Cohen, Jim Ducharme, Andrew Albert, Dennis Dayman, Jenny Viscarolasaga, Jeff Ginsberg, Elizabeth Gross, Elle Callahan, and others, for their offers, opportunities, and leads, as well as their words of support and encouragement

• Terra Sweet Potato Chips

• Shark Tank

• Bill McCloskey and the Only Influencers group, who, even though I’m no longer technically an #emailgeek, still consider me part of the community

• The Chestnut Hill Reservoir running path

• Twitter, for keeping me informed and entertained, but most importantly, connected

• Night two of Bruce Springsteen’s homestand at Fenway Park this summer

• Argyle

• The dream that one day I could be on The Amazing Race

• My friends, for all the good times, as well as the many lunches, drinks, and dinners

• You, for reading this blog, for subscribing to it, and for sharing the posts that you like. I hope you’ll continue to do so.

To all of these people and things, I offer you my thanks.

Now it’s time to bring on the turkey … mashed potatoes … We we we, we’re gonna have a good time. Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for this year? I hope you’ll share your thoughts in the comments section below.