It's the day before American Thanksgiving, and Jason Strate (blog | twitter) has asked all of us to tell the SQL community what we're thankful for.  While I seem to recall doing this before, I have gone through a lot of life changes in the past year, so I believe my list is now a little, well, enhanced.

My Wife, Nicole

Nicole puts up with my dorkiness, long hours and – most importantly – travel.  She is not a big fan of sleeping alone in this house, but she works through it.  She helps me through tough decisions and unfailingly supports me no matter which way I come out of them.  Quite simply, she makes me completely happy in all aspects of our lives.  And still, no matter which car I get into, she has left the radio tuned either to Howard Stern or the local sports talk radio station.  Atta girl!

My Other Loved Ones

Of course I couldn't honestly leave out my mom and my sister, my new extended family, and my strong network of friends.  The fact that we could get 50 guests to our wedding in Jamaica last month is a testament to the support and love that we value very highly.  And finally, I don't think I could have a Thanksgiving post without mentioning our two beagles, Kirby and Quigley, who unknowingly give us so much joy in return for rescuing them from very bad situations.

My Health

In spite of not always making the best dietary choices (this week will certainly prove that), and visiting Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks far too often, I am glad that I am generally healthy.  At 36, I can still play 2+ hours of volleyball, multiple times a week, and not feel too much like a senior citizen at the other end of it.  Some nights are worse than others, of course, and I feel most of it in my right knee.  But I hope to still be playing at a decent level at 46.

SQL Server

Even though the product sometimes careens off the tracks and goes in directions that are more revenue-driven than they need to be, I am quite thankful that I have been able to build a successful career around SQL Server, and that I can participate in quite arguably the best technical community on the planet.  I am also thankful that SQL Server has created a sustainable market for third-party tool vendors, such as my new employer, SQL Sentry – and that such a vendor can find several productive channels for the knowledge, skills and brand I've developed over the past 13 years.

Like last year, I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend, even if you are Canadian and celebrated it a month ago (like I did), or if you don't celebrate it at all.  It can never hurt to give pause and think about all the things you cherish in your life.