Today is a big holiday in the US; it’s a day where we take time off to celebrate all the things we’re thankful for. We get together with family; over-eat a traditional Thanksgiving Day meal, and then we watch football until we pass out. It’s just about a perfect day.
I got up this morning feeling especially grateful for the many blessings I enjoy all year long, and I wanted to take a few minutes to share the things I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving Day. I believe counting your blessings is one of the best things a person can do (and that this list of 200 is only a start, is a real blessing to me for sure).
Here they are, (in no particular order):
I’m thankful….
1. that I got to marry the girl of my dreams (it’ll be 30-years this coming September)
2. for Keurig Coffee Makers
3. for little hole-in-the-wall restaurants
4. for having a big brother I could always look up to
5. that she said “yes!”
6. for the “Skip” button on YouTube ads
7. when I hear the ringtone that lets me know my son is texting us
8. for Seinfeld reruns
9. that I learned how to use Photoshop and Lightroom
10. for lazy Saturday mornings when we just chill
11. for Saturday College Football games and that our son chose a big football school (#rolltide!)
12. for Hulu and Netflix and Amazon Prime
13. for Maggie the Wonderdog
14. for how happy Maki the SuperDog makes my wife
15. for that first cup of coffee in the morning
16. that my wife got us a Latte maker
17. for big greasy double-cheeseburgers served in restaurants whose cleanliness is so suspect that my wife would never eat there
18. for anytime I drive up to our house, and see our son’s truck sitting out front
19. that first morning hug from my wifey
20. that the Buc’s miserable season is mercifully almost over
21. that this year the Patriot’s aren’t as good as they usually are
22. for any chilly day here in Florida
23. for my daughter’s wonderful sense of humor
24. when my daughter shares her drawings with me
25. for CoffeeMate individual creamers
26. that my son was born with the built-in love of helping and looking out for other people
27. for the text my son just sent us as I’m writing this that brought tears to my eyes
28. for my daughter’s laugh
29. for all the family traditions that my wife fosters and we all love
30. that our kids get to attend great schools
31. for Dunkin Donut’s drive-thru in the morning, and that they’ll make your coffee just the way you like it
32. for Terry White
33. for the kind people who read my blog each day
34. for all the little things
35. for our cozy couch for watching TV
36. for Logic Pro X (the wonderful recording studio software on my Mac)
37. for Pizza, and the fine people who deliver them.
38. for mornings where Maggie doesn’t bark at other children and parents in the car line
39. that my son is such a faithful person by nature
40. for Sunday night’s texting my buddy Jeff Revell as we watch ‘The Walking Dead’ together, while 1,000 miles apart
41. for our tradition of watching “Love Actually” again every Christmas
42. for living so close to Disney World
43. for how awesome my wife is at planning trips
44. for being married to such an amazing cook
45. for a really comfy bed pillow
46. for Rick and Susan Sammon
47. for all my guitars
48. for beautiful offices for us to work in each day
49. to have Jessica, Kim and Cindy work on my books
50. that people actually buy my books, which lets me keep writing them
51. for the smell of my wife’s cooking when I walk in the door
52. for times when just my daughter and I get to go out to lunch
53. for Moose and Sharon
54. for Dave, Peter, and Glyn
55. for having such a wonderful mother and father growing up.
56. for being able to play musical instruments
57. for having mentors whose wisdom and whip-cracking have helped immeasurably throughout my life
58. for Jeanne Jilleba who helps me so much each day
59. for having a great relationship with my mother and father-in-law
60. for having a mother-in-law who stepped in for my own mother when she passed away
61. for the trips my brother and I take together once a year
62. to Delta, their SkyClub, and all the upgrades I get each year
63. to Erik Kuna for being my friend
64. for all the folks who come out to my seminars each year.
65. that I still get to work with my friend Ted Waitt
66. for Levi, and Sally and Dianne for caring so much about our members
67. for Chris, Susie, Karen and Pam – I’m lucky to work with them
68. for my wife’s beautiful smile
69. for how my son always shares new songs he finds with me
70. for all the times my wife texts me a heart emoji
71. for somebody’s else’s fries
72. for how my friend Dave Clayton’s texts always make me laugh out loud
73. that my kids know they are loved completely and unconditionally
74. for my Pastor and friend Douglas Poole
75. for Victoria’s sweet texts, and for what a joy she is
76. that I get to drive a car each day that makes driving a joy
77. for really good air conditioning
78. that I get to use such great camera and lighting gear
79. for Google’s news app on my phone
80. for my great Web team; Adam, Aaron, Yo, and Curt
81. for everybody who checked on my wifey when she got in an accident
82. for black t-shirts with logos on them
83. for Dave Black, Kristy Sherk, Lindsay Adler and Peter Hurley,
84. for the beautiful baby grand piano Kalebra bought for my birthday 20+ years ago
85. that I’ve been able to be a part of the Photoshop World conference all these years
86. for when great ideas pop in my head, and for being able to move on when it turns out some of them aren’t as great as I thought
87. for all my friends who came to the rescue
88. for the pretty drive to work in the mornings
89. for Juan, Steve, Jason and Christina
90. that my daughter and our niece are such great friends
91. that my son loves so many different kinds of music (everything from classic rock to Sinatra to rap to metal)
92. for all the times my big brother helped me, and guided me, when I was growing up.
93. for my apple watch and all the reminders it gives me
94. for weekends and days off
95. for the smell of coffee brewing
96. for Margie, Angela, Jacque, John and Rachel
97. for Maxx Hammond for being such a great friend to my son all these years, and for being an important part of our family
98. for comfortable shoes
99. for having a friend like Manny
100. for loving every minute with my family
101. for the men and women of our military
102. for Julie, Kleber, Heidi and Cheryl
103. for the little Blackstar tube amp sitting on my desk
104. anytime I get to go to New York City
105. for our dear friend and partner Jean A.
106. for James Taylor
107. for all the awesome texts I’m getting from friends today
108. that my daughter still cares that I bake my special “Christmas Cookies” each year when we put up the tree (and I’m grateful she thinks Pillsbury mean ‘special’).
109. my guardian angel
110. for bagels with cream cheese
111. for Larry Tiefenbrunn
112. for first responders
113. that my camera bag has four wheels
114. for Viktor and Ron
115. for Larry Becker, Rob Sylvan, and Dave Williams
116. for my friends Chicky Nando, Pisco, Big Mike, Cathy B, and Mimo
117. for all the stuff in Erik’s backpack (since he always has that thing I need that I forgot to bring)
118. for waking up feeling great in the morning!
119. for Joe and Annie
120. that our dog Maki has a best friend in our son’s dog Nami
121. for beautiful clouds when I’m shooting a sunrise
122. for a yummy breakfast after a sunrise shoot
123. for my wife’s homemade chocolate-chip pancakes
124. for the sound of my wife’s voice
125. for mornings when I get up early and get a bunch of stuff done and I look up and it’s only 8:15 am
126. for landings in London
127. for the quiet time my wife and I share with our coffee in the mornings before the kids wake up
128. for my MacBook Pro and how much easier it makes my business life each day
129. for forgiveness
130. that I realize what a privileged, blessed life I lead, and to whom I owe the thanks
131. that I start each day getting centered reading the Bible and daily devotionals
132. for how my daughter is always dancing
133. for the night’s where our family gets together to play games
134. for when we all lay on the floor, looking up and debate how tall the ceiling is in our living room
135. for our holiday trips to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
136. for cheese. Any kind of cheese. Even if it dispenses from a can
137. that somebody kept reading even though we’re down to number 137
138. that we have doggie treats when we really need them
139. for breakfasts at First Watch
140. for Carmine’s on W. 44th Street
141. for all the awesome instructors I get to work with
142. for empty middle seats
143. for my iPad and all the awesome apps, like the Kindle Reader
144. for the Texture app so I can read all my favorite magazines on my iPad
145. that I get to make new friends along the way
146. that people come to my workshops and I get to make new friends
147. for everyone who has stuck up for me in an online forum
148. for all the people who helped me along the way, and who may be gone, but are not forgotten
149. for the great companies and partners who sponsor The Grid
150. that I get to do a weekly live photography show and have such wonderful photographers as guests
151. for my Platypod Ultra
152. that my employees have a long weekend this weekend
153. for my lunch this week with an old friend
154. that we work so close to one of the best Cuban restaurants
155. for Tara our awesome official Chilis server for over 10-years now
156. for how happy fresh flowers make my wife
157. to see how happy it makes Kalebra when we all eat our vegetables at dinner
158. for a beautiful yard for the doggos to run in.
159. for Sundays when I sleep in really late
160. that my son left his awesome drum kit here so I can play it
161. that my old rock band from high-school still gets together to play our high-school reunion party
162. that I live in a very sunny place
163. for Google search
164. for every time my wife is cooking and says “I’m trying something different tonight.” It always leads to a delicious meal!
165. that I always remember our anniversary
166. that our family makes birthdays really special for each other
167. that we have a photographic art gallery and that we get to celebrate our member’s work there
168. that I have such a great art director for my shoots in Kalebra
169. for William C. Miller, my high school band director, who taught us more than music.
170. that I was born and raised here
171. for Deb, John, Bob, Sam, and all my friends in Boston
172. for the Sci-Fi Drive-In Theatre restaurant
173. for Frank Doorhof
174. for all the summers in Sarasota at the beach when I was growing up
175. for getting to board early
176. for Larry Grace, Ed Buice, and Rob Foldy
177. for Superchargers
178. for when the dogs realize it was just a random sound and stop barking
179. for all the live concerts, Broadway shows, and performances I’ve experienced
180. for my wife’s guardian angel, who has been working overtime lately
181. for Zephyrhills bottled spring water
182. for the times my brother and I get to play golf
183. for the Genius Bar in the Apple Store
184. for Chili’s chips and salsa
185. for now thoughtful my wife is
186. for afternoon’s at the movies
187. for the times when I could think of the perfect gift
188. for all the people who participate in my Worldwide Photo Walk and for the joy it brings me to see their smiling faces in their group shots
189. for everyone who has donated to the Springs of Hope Kenya orphanage
190. for all the wonderful gifts I treasure that Kalebra has gotten me over the years
191. for all my friends at Canon USA
192. for everybody who follows me on social media, and shares a kind word or says something nice about one of my images.
193. for every handmade birthday card my daughter has made for me
194. that my son is a way better version of me
195. for all the times when my wife knows exactly what to say and how to say it
196. that people are kind when they point out my typos on my blog
197. that I love to drive
198. that I still get to play with Scotty and Tony in a band.
199. for how easy it was to come up with 200 things I’m grateful for
200. for God, and His Son Jesus Christ, for leading me to the woman of my dreams, for blessing us with such amazing children, for allowing me to make a living doing something I truly love, for always being there when I need Him, for blessing me with a wonderful, fulfilling, and happy life, and such a warm, loving family to share it with.
Here’s wishing you a Thanksgiving full of family, food, gratitude for our many blessings, and I hope your team wins this weekend unless you’re playing Alabama! #rolltide!
All my best,
-Scott
And we’re thankful for you too.
Thank you, Steve :)
Your inherent kindness shines through every item on the list. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family
Thank you, Jon – Happy Thanksgiving to you! :)
Always a pleasure to be your inspiration in all things Photoshop. :)
Scott I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving today with Kalebra, Jordan and Kira (and whomever you’re sharing dinner with today!). Thanks for all you do for us each year, whether it’s on this blog, at your seminars, on the Grid or on KelbyOne.com. You, my friend are a treasure I am glad I discovered years ago!
I hope to see you in Boston soon on your new tour. If not, Orlando in May, baby! ??
Oh, and thanks for #171! See, I did read the whole list! ?
Jaaaahhhhhnnnnn! :) THanks, buiddy – hope to see you when I’m up that way. Don’t tell Deb.
Bwhahaha!
Scott, I read every line! #20, sorry about that! #21, we are gonna be just fine! #42, wish I lived closer. #68, she’s pretty awesome! #9, #50, #85, thank you for sharing what you’ve learned. #64, when are you coming back to Boston? #171, I’m honored. Happy Thanksgiving, my friend!
Happy Thanksgiving, Deb. Hope to see you when I’m up that way. Don’t tell John. ;-)
Scott, thanks for sharing with your readers, your followers, and your friends your “I’m thankful for” list. What a great way to start the day before going out on a 2 day photo tour :) When we are down and complaining, this is actually a great exercise. I need to write my own thankful list. Among many things, just like you, I’m also thankful for Google for leading me to NAPP and that turning out to be on the #116 of your list some years later. :) Enjoy the extended weekend with your family and friends.
You have a lot to thankful for, Nando! (Including the fact that you live in Lisbon). :)
Scott, thank you for writing this. Tears in my eyes! Thank you again for these posts.
Thank you for reading it. Have a great weekend. :)
Amoung many other things I am thankful, that at some day in my youtube feed I found a video with you in it. You and me have a strong and helpfull relationship ?Thank you for being you.
Jennifer Klinger
PS: I am the one from the Innsbruck walk that talked with the waitresses to get some seats In the cafe after the walk.
You, Jennifer, are my hero for doing that – I’m very grateful that you helped us out like that. Hope you have a great wekend, and thanks again. :)
And I am thankful, that after reading many many of Scott‘s blog, only until now I found the button to like the content.
(The heart can be found right in the titles box, next to it is the speach bubble)
Who else is blind like I am?
WOW! That’s some list you got there! Must be nice to be you!
I have nothing to be thankful for…
I have a hateful husband
Broken car
Kids who won’t even take a photo let alone a nice one
Old and sick mom
No house of my own
No work or hopes for any
No teeth
No friends
Your list makes me even more depressed, because its kinda not fair for one person to have so much to be thankful/grateful for while others have nothing.
Glad you enjoyed your thanksgiving. I stopped celebrating years ago, because its hard to celebrate “being thankful” when there’s nothing to be thankful for.
That’s a hard set of circumstances to be dealing with. I really hope things improve for you, that you can see something to be thankful for today, even when some others have more.
You can always look at things in two different ways: the bitter one, just like you did, and a positive one, just like Scott did. Whatever you’re planting today, that will be your future crop… Think about it, then hopefully be thankful for having a computer, an internet connection, and people that despite your negative post, people that you don’t even know, tried to help you finding a more positive world so that your future can improve.
From the other side of the world (Jakarta, Indonesia) I hope you and your family had a fantastic Thanksgiving, Scott !! It was a real pleasure reading your entire list….makes me think of all that I am thankful for as well ! I want to thank YOU for being Scott Kelby…you have had a great influence on so many of us as photographers, and have built an empire to help thousands! Thank you.