Thanksgiving is for feasting, family, and friends...and for many, football. There are few curmudgeons who would be bold enough to speak out against giving thanks, so we are allowed to have this one day in which all of us can feel united in spirit whatever our different beliefs.

Our family, like many, has a tradition around the dinner table of talking about what we are thankful for. I wanted to take a minute with this post to share my thankful thoughts about our industry and the people that make it special.

Buyers are at the heart of our business. If we are lucky, we are privileged to meet new buyers all year. Each brings a unique story of their life and their dreams. This year I was lucky to meet adult children shopping for a house closer to home for their parents living hundreds of miles away. Their support and demonstrated love for their ailing and often grouchy elders encouraged me to work extra hard to find them something quickly in a hot, multiple offer environment. The parents are relocated and still adjusting, but they're close to children, grandchildren, and a loving support system they lacked in their previous location.

I was able to work throughout the year with a disabled, single woman searching for a home and shop where she can continue her woodworking and have access to a bike path. She's challenged, as many buyers are, by shifting economic circumstances and uncertainty about the future. We've seen every fixer from Cotati to Sebastopol and are still looking. There have been a few near things, and more disappointments. She still manages to fight her infirmities and get out of bed to search the internet for her dream property. It's the least I can do to unlock doors and do some legwork to find her a home.

A group of young families are looking for a place to start a farm and put down shared roots. We've seen flood plains, steep hills, and rocky soil reminiscent of New Hampshire more than California. We've also seen green meadows, still ponds, and beautiful old barns. Their bouncing babies and smiling faces remind me of my earlier days and the power of big dreams. I really want to find them something great.

I could go on, but I'm sure you all have your favorite memories of the people you have helped and the lives you have touched. We're lucky to work in an industry where we can make new friends and help people during the course of our daily work. I'm especially thankful that ActiveRain provides such a fantastic community of people who share their stories and ideas with the rest of us. We are all part of the huge AR family in which caring is a central part of what I read about every day.

It wouldn't be fair to talk about the thanks I give for the people I meet without acknowledging that there is also much pain in the world of real estate. I want to warmly embrace and offer hope to everyone losing their home, underwater on their loan, or homeless today. There is always darkness before the dawn and sometimes it seems like things will never get better. They will. My hope is that your next Thanksgiving will have more reasons to be thankful.