It was one of the first phrases I taught my girls to say when they were little—two simple words that, when used together, said so much.

It told me when they were pleased.
It told me when they were appreciative.
And it told me when they recognized a kindness.

My oldest said, “Dank-oo” and my youngest said, “Tank-oo.” But they both meant exactly the same thing.

Even now, over a decade later, I still feel good when I hear them say those two words. I guess it’s because when they do, it means they get it. They get that life isn’t handed to you and that blessings should be acknowledged and appreciated.

When they were little, I encouraged them to write thank you notes—either verbal or illustrated—when they received a gift or an honor. Now, they do it on their own. When they were little, I made a point of thanking people (in their presence) for niceties like holding a door open or pointing out a dropped mitten. Now, they say it, too. And, when you think about it, it’s one of the easiest things to teach a child…provided they see it in action.

So, although they’re older now, I feel the need to continue the tradition by practicing what I’ve been preaching to them for over a decade. The upcoming holiday simply provides the perfect setting for sharing those things for which I am thankful…

**My family. They make the good better and the bad easier. And I couldn’t imagine my life without them.

**My friends. While I have many who have impacted my life in one way or another (you all know who you are), I am especially thankful for Lynn and Joe. Their unconditional friendship is a gift I’ve come to recognize as incredibly rare and precious.

**My health. For me, this is a team effort. The most difficult part of leaving St. Louis this past summer was saying goodbye to my doctor and my nurse. Fortunately, they’re still right around the corner thanks to telephone and email…and they’re a great excuse to go back for a visit!

**The wonderful people I met this year while touring. If I tried to give a shout-out to everyone who touched my life via the release of SEW DEADLY, we’d be here all day. I will, however, give a special thanks to Mary Hallfield in Wisconsin and Molly Weston in North Carolina. These women opened their homes to me and made me feel like a real member of their respective families. Their hospitality was truly memorable.

**My friend Paula. This woman came into my life at a time when I was starting out on an unfamiliar road (as both a newly diagnosed MS patient and single mom) and she was continuing down an extra rocky one of her own. Every day this woman came to work with a contagious smile and a loving heart. Her very essence demonstrated the whole “show, don’t tell” idea simply in the way she lived her life–with grace and courage. Unfortunately for those who knew her, Paula lost her battle with cancer in October. She will be forever missed and forever treasured.

**The folks at Romantic Times Magazine (RT book reviews). First, for their 4 star review of SEW DEADLY in August, and now with a 4 1/2 star “Top Pick” review of my upcoming first-ever romance, KAYLA’S DADDY.

**All of my GG blog readers (lurkers and commenters alike). You make Tuesdays one of my favorite days of the week!

Now it’s your turn. What are you thankful for this year?

Hugs,

~Laura

**For those of you who played along with my “Where in the World is Laura” contest last week (both here on Good Girls and on my Elizabeth Lynn Casey blog), St. Thomas was the correct answer. As far as the trip, I am now well rested and tan and ready to start thinking about the next writing endeavor. As far as the contest, I put the names of those who correctly guessed my location into a hat and pulled out a winning name. Allison Collins, you have a $10 B & N gift card coming your way along with a signed cover flap of my next mystery, DEATH THREADS!!! Drop me an email with your information to: laura@laurabradford.com and I’ll get that out to you right away. Congratulations!!!