My Personal Note of Thanksgiving

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

22 Nov 2006 07:36 AM

Good morning, as I stated earlier in Family Traditions: A Day To Give Thanks, we have a lot of personal family traditions here to celebrate Thanksgiving and this note is one that I am adding to my traditions because this time last year, I was just getting ramped up to start writing for Families.com. I want to begin my note with a personal thank you to all our readers here at Families.com.

You come, you visit, you participate in our forums and you read our blogs. You are in large measure, the reason we are all here. It's for you that we share our stories, our wisdom, our silliness and our trials and errors. It is my personal hope that if I have just reached out to one person, just touched one person's life or helped to make a difference in some small way - then I am very grateful to be here and I want to thank you for being here with me.

To My Fellow Bloggers

There are many of you here, there are many of you getting ready to get started and there are many who have come and gone - I am thankful to all of you. There are a few here I will mention specifically, because I know you a little better than the others, but please know that I am thankful to be in such brilliant company whether I agree with your thoughts or not. First and foremost, Sherry, my co-blogger here at Marriage - I am thankful for you. I am thankful for the friendship we have formed over the last year that combines mutual respect with an honest and genuine concern for the well-being of us all. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Thank you for sharing this blog with me. Thank you for sharing your opinions - especially those that conflict with my own. Thank you for just being you.

To Valorie, my co-blogger over in Baby - thank you for coming in like a breath of fresh air and sharing such a wonderful wealth of thoughts, ideas and experiences whether it's about your beautiful children, your strong support of breastfeeding and more. Your views and information in the Homeschool blog has been terrifically educational to me and more.

To Catherine, thank you for opening up and sharing your trials and tribulations in The Diary of the Overweight Mom. You reach out and touch my heart with your stories, your humor and your grace. I loved your work in baby and I continue to love it as you write in Weight Loss and more. To Kaye Siders, your articles in Education thrilled me and I can't express my gratitude enough for the articles about teachers, education and more - especially with my daughter starting Kindergarten this year.

To Libby and Michele, a great big shout-out and thank you to both of you. Your work in Popular Culture has me reading about gossip I wouldn't necessarily read, but your writing, your wit and your witticisms bring me back again and again. Thank you for sharing all the wonderful stories that you share. To Melissa, Misty, both Miriam Metzinger Miriam Caldwell and more - your religious convictions and openness in sharing your thoughts and views touch me and I find them all to be an enormous gift. To everyone else that I may not have mentioned here from Aimee to Marjorie to Renee and more - thank you all. I can't begin to express it enough.

To Lisa

Lisa, I found a great friend in you and I've enjoyed working with you from day number 1. Thank you for everything you do from all the questions you answer to all the subtle kicks in the rear you provide. You motivate me, you support me and you are a real treasure to work with. I can't thank you enough for the opportunity you and the owners of Families.com provided me with a year ago when you brought me on board and I can't thank you enough for the experience that I have continued to enjoy throughout this year and look forward to enjoying throughout the next.

Thank you all. I am better person for each and every one of you being in my life.

Related Articles:

Happy Thanksgiving: Giving Thanks

Create Your Own Family Holidays

Blending Holiday Traditions

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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Lisa P (24013) 22 Nov 2006 04:12 PM

Thank you, Heather, for your kind words and for being such a wonderful part of the Families.com family.

Michele Cheplic (37349) 23 Nov 2006 05:00 AM

Thanks Heather! Thank you for showing all of us that it is physically possible to produce 200 blogs--a day. :) Just kidding. Thank you for setting the bar so high around here--your work ethic really is inspiring.

Sherry Holetzky (11404) 26 Nov 2006 09:20 AM

Heather, I couldn't have my expressed my feelings better about this community and the wonderful people here, both staff and members. It's been a great experience working here and working with you. I also work with Michele, who is very talented, and Marjorie who adds wit and whimsy to Home and Garden. Valorie and Melissa both inspire me as well, and I've enjoyed the way Catherine shares so openly. Everyone you mentioned, and every blogger here, has touched me and others in some way. Lisa... well, what would we do without Lisa? She is apparently tireless, a kind friend, supportive, smart, funny, and exceptional to work with. Those who created this community deserve special thanks as well. And, I thank you for so graciously welcoming me into Marriage and for being a motivator and a friend.