Do you guys notice a shift in people’s moods this time of year? Every November, as Thanksgiving Day approaches, I sense a sort of lightness in people’s spirits. Of course, the stress that the impending holidays can bring is also often in the air, but let’s not talk about that right now! 

Seriously … I don’t know if it’s the anticipation of getting time off from work and school, the looking forward to sharing a big meal with family, or just the exhilarating bustle that naturally comes with the holidays, but I always pick up on a kind of warm-and-happy vibe in late November. And I have to say, I kind of love it.

Musing about this the other day put me in the mood to compile a gratitude list. Seeing as this is the Lerner blog, I’ll keep the list to things I’m grateful for here at work. Here goes!

 ● Getting to work on fun books every day—like the one you see to your left.
● The bond I feel with the authors I work with. Shaping creative projects together leads to a special kind of working relationship that I’m not sure you get to have in every job.
● Having the opportunity to touch readers’ lives through the books and online materials we create.
● Getting to express my creativity at work, whether it’s by thinking through word choice as I edit, having a hand in picking photos for a book, or writing for this blog.

I could go on and on with this list (and having so many things to be thankful for is in itself a reason for gratitude), but I’ll cap it off and leave it to you, blog readers: What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?