"Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed."

~Mark Twain

It's that time of year where we all go around the table and tell everyone what we're thankful for. It's been hectic and stressful but all things considered, I've had a pretty good year. Here are some of the many things I'm thankful for:

My Mom
As you all know, my mom had a double lung transplant in July. She is at home and doing as well as she can be. I'm very thankful to have at least a decade more Thanksgivings to spend with her.

My brother-in-law Mike
Mike was deployed to Iraq about a year ago. On November 10th, he returned home. When you hear about all of the bombings and other horror stories, I'm so thankful that he is home and safe again.

My family
We've had a trying year. We're all still speaking and are closer for sticking this year's events out together. And for the first time in several years, we haven't attended a family funeral. I'm very thankful for that.

My job
Not only do I have a job, but I had the opportunity to get a couple of licenses to further my career. It took a lot of time and energy to pass the Series 7 & 66 but I got it done. Now I just have to figure out what to do now that I have it behind me. I'm thankful that I have choices.

My friends
With the year I've had, my friends have kept me going. I know I've been a terrible friend. I haven't been good about staying in contact with people, returning calls or stopping by as often as I should. I'm thankful that so many people have stuck by my side.

I hope you and your families have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.