It was an innocent conversation started over a proofing table.
Assistant editor Julie MacLellan was musing about the thoughtful letters local children had sent us telling us what they were thankful for.
It was heartwarming to hear about how appreciative kids were for their parents, their health and even their blood.
That got us hardened cynical reporters thinking what we're thankful for.
Editor Pat Tracy asked us all to write a few words about what we're appreciative for, so here's what we came up with.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
Pat Tracy, editor
My day is just one big long "Thank you, ma'am."
I am thankful every morning that the cat hasn't smothered me in my sleep, thankful to witness the sun rise over the Fraser River, inhale the chalky richness of the muddy riverbank at low tide, see the beavers slide into the water as I climb up the ramp and head off to work.
I am grateful to arrive at work. I am thankful that colleagues who are younger and smarter than me surround me; I am thankful for having a job that continues to challenge and interest me (where we can still "afflict the comfortable, and comfort the afflicted"*), where I learn something new every day - if not every hour. A newsroom where laughter continually punctuates the quiet background white noise of muffled typing, where my co-workers share their entertaining workday tales of ego-bound politicians and bizarre tipsters. Where the ever changing "truth" of situations provides us with endless journalistic fruit. I am thankful that I can still see the essential goodness of human beings buried under multiple layers of scar tissue - despite being in the business of focusing on that very same scar tissue.
I am thankful for having an older, wiser boss who understands my eccentricities - and is an incredibly good listener.
On the commute home, I am, as always, in awe of the stunning natural beauty of the Lower Mainland - minutes away from mountains, lakes, the ocean, farms and valleys. (I am eternally grateful to my parents who decided that Vancouver would be a good place to settle!)
As I return at night to our house on the water, I am grateful to be greeted by my partner of 30 years: Thankful for a shared history and life of working - in our own small way - for simple justice, building friendships, sharing life's challenges (from renovations to death), and lots of just darn plain everyday guffaw-filled fun.
I often say, "If the cat smothers me in my sleep tonight - I have lived a truly blessed life."
* versions variously attributed to Finley Peter Dunne and "Mother" Mary Jones
Julie MacLellan, assistant editor
I am thankful for music. For my compatriots in the Amabilis Singers and Phoenix Chamber Choir with whom I am privileged to share the gift of song every week, and for the joy and richness it has brought to all our lives.
I'm thankful for my friends. For those I have met at all stages of my life, from childhood to the workplace, who have been there for all of life's good times and bad, for the life-changing moments and the everyday ones. You have all taught me, in your own individual ways, just how much it means to have people who matter in your life.
I'm thankful for my family. For Mom and Dad, who've never stopped being the same supportive, loving, encouraging presence in my life. And for my sisters, Carol and Shelley - not just sisters but the best of friends, and women whom I admire and look up to. I know I'm past 40 now (yes, Dad, I'm past 40, so I'm afraid the cat's out of the bag on trying to tell people you're still 39), but you're all just as important to me as you were when I was wee.
I'm thankful for my husband. Yes, the blue-eyed, smiling Steve who makes me laugh, cooks my dinner, reads my novels, cheers on my choirs and is never less than a rock when the road of life gets a little bumpy.
And I have to add, I'm thankful for my editor and for the colleague who decided it was a good idea for all of us to write about what we're thankful for. (Yes, Alfie, I just thanked you.)
Because when I think about it, I'm thankful for so many things that if I start counting them, I'd never stop.
Lemurs and marmots and kittens, and the music of Eric Whitacre, and the smell of the ocean, and sand between my toes, and the colour pink, and mountain hikes and tenting under the stars, and trains and boats and planes and road trips into the unknown, and hugs and chocolate chip cookies and marshmallows over the campfire, and my squashy couch and fireplace and the cozy little house that welcomes me home every night, and the feel of wind in my hair, and the two legs that let me jump and twirl and dance when the mood strikes ...
Well, you get the idea.
I'm thankful for life.
Alfie Lau, reporter
I'm thankful for having the best family and friends ever. Yes, I know it's cliché, but when you live the carefree, gallivanting lifestyle I lead, the small details are always taken care of by the ones closest to you.
So, to all those who have dropped me off at airports at 2 a.m., picked me up at 3 a.m., put me up in their homes, travelled with me from near and far, taken me to sporting and cultural events, fed me food and alcohol, a big tip of the hat to you.
The biggest thanks go to my immediate family, who give me endless fodder for my job. To Momma Lau, who still makes some of the best food for all of us, to Poppa Lau, who can still fashion the most amazing things out of wood, to Big Sis, who taught me the art of getting good stuff cheap to my two brothers-in-law, who realized that all of us Lau's are more alike than they initially realized, to Boo, who gave us our two favourite little people: The Garrett and Ariella. Garrett, you'll always be the little guy to me, but you're growing into your own man before our very eyes. Ariella, you're temperamental now, but hey, you're not even three, so there's lots of time to love Uncle Alfie. I love you all and thank you immensely for giving me the life I have.
Now back to your normal amount of Alfie smarm . . . (I'm thankful for free beer, for sensible shoes and free meals!)
Brent Richter, reporter
What am I thankful for?
Big picture things like being born in Canada to a family that loves me.
Personal things like an adorable girlfriend of almost four years who has astonishing patience for my mischief, and that I have successfully quit smoking.
And simple pleasures like hanging out at home on a rainy Saturday, a pint of beer with friends at my local pub, and some cartoons to make me laugh at night.
Sitting here right now though, and thinking about the question, what I am most thankful for is that I am in an office where someone says, 'Write up a list of things you're thankful for for the website.'
Christina Myers, reporter
I'm thankful for a bathtub full of toys that need to be put away every night, the stacks of laundry that are always waiting for me, the sippy cups that need to be washed - they mean my children are home with me, safe and sound, healthy and busy being kids.
I'm thankful for the fact that every weekend I say "next weekend will be much more calm, I promise" because it means that we've been busy seeing friends and family and enjoying the people around us, even though it left many a chore undone.
I'm thankful for my morning commute - even though most of the time I don't feel thankful while I'm in it - and that my husband's phone sometimes rings at 3 a.m. for a business call from Bangalore or Beijing, because it means that, in this shaky economy when so many are facing layoffs, we are both gratefully employed.
I'm thankful that my cellphone sometimes doesn't stop ringing from first thing in the morning till I go to bed at night, because it means there are people thinking of me and friends to be counted on should I need it.
I'm thankful for the worst things that have happened to me, because inevitably, something good has come from those times. (Tuesday ladies, you most definitely fall under this category.) I'm very thankful that the real "worst things" in my life have never even come close to the tragedies of my over-active imagination.
I'm thankful for peeling paint and 69-year-old plumbing that makes me want to pull out my hair and a white picket fence that is starting to verge into grey - despite its quirks, my very tiny, very yellow, very old house is truly my dream home, problems and all.
I'm thankful for my best friend - the person who makes me laugh the most, who can debate me till I'm blue in the face, who always has some interesting new "crazy" project on the go. Hubby, you're awesome. You can pull off black socks and sandals better than anyone I've ever met.
Janaya Fuller-Evans, reporter
At the core of my gratitude this Thanksgiving are my son and my partner. Both make my life more abundant and vibrant than I ever thought possible. They keep me laughing constantly, dancing frequently, and teach me much. They are delightful and amazing human beings. I am utterly blessed to know them, let alone be so fundamental in their lives.
I am grateful to my parents for the struggles they went through to give me a good life, especially my mother, who taught me early on about the sacrifices of being a reporter... Despite her sage advice I still became one. All three of my parents have guided me and helped me create the life I have today. I'm also grateful to my little brother who brings wonder to my life as I watch him grow and mature. He has recently added to our familial bounty with my absolutely lovely new niece.
I'm also thankful for my partner's family. They have embraced my son and I during this past year, and have added much joy (and many delicious family dinners) to our lives.
And I'm very glad to be a journalist - a dream I've had since I was 10 - to serve my community and keep those around me informed. I'm even more grateful to be able to work my craft in a country where I can do so safely, without threat to my life or to the ones I love. My life is a good one, and I am very thankful for it.
Jennifer Moreau, reporter
I'm thankful that I do not have a terminal illness. I'm thankful I have full use of my body, and I am not injured or maimed in any way. I'm thankful to live in a first-world country, where I don't have to worry about famine, drought, bombs falling overhead and civil war. I'm thankful for my parents, who are relatively well-adjusted and helped me turn out OK. I'm thankful I have a job because the industry is in a bit of rough shape at the moment. I'm thankful for friends and anyone I've had a close, empathic relationship with, because when I am on my death bed, this is what I will remember the most.
Larry Wright, photographer
I am thankful for my family, who through thick and thin have always been there.
To my wife Kim who has stood by me in good times and bad and is
still standing beside me. To my oldest child Jemma, she is a little princess, growing up before my eyes. To Casey who never ceases to amaze me in his spirit and awesome view of the world. To my youngest Zacary, who is a little adventurer and compassionate child.
For all the friends that I have met and known over these many years, I thank you. You have all been great in your own way. I look forward to meeting up with all you in the future.
Theresa McManus, reporter
Family, friends and good health are the things I'm most grateful for this Thanksgiving.
Each day, I thank my lucky stars for my two boys and their boundless energy, good health, big smiles and constant supply of hugs. They keep me on my toes, challenge me in ways I never expected and bring humour to our home.
I'm thankful for my friends, some of whom I've known since I was in elementary school and are now part of my family. They're a never-ending source of support and laughter.
I'm thankful for having a job I love and coworkers who enjoy a good laugh amid the hectic days of putting out The Record and Burnaby NOW.
I'm thankful for my family, for their support, perseverance, humour, even in times of hardship. From the time I was a little girl, I knew I was truly blessed to have the family I did.
I recently attended a family barbecue, where I was surrounded by my two sisters and their husbands, my brother, great nieces and nephews and my boys. I couldn't pick a more perfect day. I'm thankful for those gatherings and the memories made - for my sons and myself.
Tom Berridge, sports editor
Tom Berridge is currently on vacation in Thailand. We're sure that if Tom were here, he would say he's thankful that he's on vacation for five weeks, spending quality time with wife Suphin and their extended family in rural Thailand.
For his co-workers, we're thankful to have Tom as a colleague. His wisdom, gained over many years of experiences that continue to amaze and astound us, guides us all in countless ways.
But don't go thinking Tom is perfect: We're also thankful for his mid-afternoon rants, which can run the gamut of topics from failing technology to how insufferable people can be.
Tom, we're thankful just to have you around the Burnaby NOW and New Westminster Record office.
