A Day of Thanksgiving

Today is not only a day for eating turkey, enjoying time with family and friends, and giving thanks for those in your personal lives, it's also a time to be thankful for your writing life.

I'm lucky to have a job where I get to work with talented writers who inspire me daily. These writers include our current staff members: Margo L. Dill, Marcia Peterson, LuAnn Schindler, Joanne Stacey, Jill Earl, Jodi Webb, Anne Greenawalt, Carrie Hulce, Cher'ley Grogg, Chynna Laird, and Elizabeth King Humphrey. And the many, many previous staff members (including most recently Alison Diefenderfer and Senior Editor Annette Fix) who've passed through the WOW! halls. Working with these ladies is such a joy. They're all excellent writers and I love hearing what they're up to in their writing lives and watching them grow as writers.

I'm also thankful for our instructors who've chosen to teach with WOW! Your knowledge and ability to help others with enthusiasm and patience is extraordinary. We're lucky to have you, and those that take your classes are lucky too!

I'm thankful for the Premium-Green community of women writers. This group has to be one of the most encouraging group of writers out there. Thank you for sharing your successes, big or small, and engaging in conversations about the freelance writing life on the group boards. You bring out my entrepreneurial spirit and inspire my pep talks! I hope they inspire you too.

To the multitude of contestants, I owe you a big thank you for always being gracious and understanding--even if we're late with prizes. I love reading your stories and learning more about you through interviews here on The Muffin. You're all such a talented bunch of writers, so creative. I'm still in awe at how you can come up with a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end in such a short word count.

I'm thankful for the guest judges we have each season, who donate their time and judge stories simply for the love of the written word. Thank you for dedicating yourself to our contests and for encouraging writers everywhere.

I'm especially thankful for those of you who visit and read WOW! and share your comments, stories, successes, and your passion for writing. It's this community that keeps me motivated and striving for the best.

To the freelancers and interviewees who've worked with WOW!, I'm thankful for your well written articles and for the advice you've shared with our readers. Without you, there wouldn't be a publication.

And last, but certainly not least, to my webmaster and partner, Glenn Robnett. Thank you for your dedication to WOW!, your expert tech savvy, and for always making our publication look beautiful and shine online.

So as you enjoy a day of family and friends, remember to give thanks to those in your writing life too. (Before you fall into a turkey-induced tryptophan-coma!) Happy Thanksgiving!

Unexpected Thanksgiving

I had an unexpected visit from a friend tonight (actually today, if you're in a different time zone). He came down from San Francisco to visit his relatives and stopped by our pad to say hello. It was after midnight and I was in the midst of cranking out WOW!'s holiday gift guide, and still am. With so much on my plate (and unfortunately, I'm talking work, not food!), it's hard to stop for a moment and just be. I have so many commitments and people to please online that sometimes I forget about myself.

At first, I was a little irritated by the unexpected visit. My mind was wrapped up in deadlines and I knew that any socializing would be a setback. But as I switched gears, I suddenly felt relieved, and recognized what was truly important. This was my hubby's best friend in the world, and a good friend of mine too. And I missed him. I can't remember how long it's been. We slipped into conversation like it was yesterday. He showed me the latest window displays he'd created for Saks Fifth Avenue in SF. We chatted about friends, family, love, work, and everything under the sun. And it was good. As he left, I asked him, "So, considering Thanksgiving, what do you have to be thankful for?" The first thing he said was, "Health..." Then he said, "Friends and family..." And we gave him a big hug goodbye.

After he left, I thought about what I was thankful for. So many things came to mind. The first two that he mentioned were also my first choices. My health. My friends and family. I'm also thankful for the many wonderful women I've met through WOW!--interns, columnists, readers, and those I've come to know through the site as personal friends. All of you are special in every way.

I'm also thankful for simple things: having a roof over my head, my relationship with my cat, my long straight hair that never has a bad hair-day (it can't do anything else but be straight!), and the beautiful days and nights here in Southern California.

I'm thankful for being able to write something and have it heard by others. Writing is definitely a gift for all that choose to use it. Many times, we focus on the negative things in our lives and what we need to improve, but today, I'd like to hear what you appreciate--writing or otherwise.

So, what are you thankful for?