I’ll keep things nice and simple this Thanksgiving by sharing 10 people and things I’m thankful for:

1. God – Every good thing I have in life can be traced back to my Creator. I will always be grateful to Him and His Son Jesus Christ for blessing me with my life, this marvelous world, my loving family, and the inspiration I need to continue writing.

2. My Wife – I’ve been saved many times from publishing substandard work by my wife who acts as my editor. She and I make a good team in many ways. I’m not very good at showing affection, so she is my example of how to do it perfectly.

3. My Children – As I’ve stated before, I couldn’t be the Deja Reviewer without my children to take a lot of my time and force me to prioritize the little free time I actually have to get my writing done. Plus, they’re adorable and I love them.

4. My Mind – I don’t know exactly how inspiration works – how much of it is me and how much comes from a much more powerful source – but I do know that I have been blessed with a mind that is always busy making creative connections.

5. My Health – I’ve been remarkably healthy this year. I did get sick once in May, but other than that I’ve been fit as a fiddle. It’s been nice to not have any sore throats, headaches, or any other ailments for so long. I’ll try to keep the streak going.

6. My Family – My mom, dad, brothers, and sisters are amazing examples to me of generosity, courage, and strength. My brothers go out of their way to get together with me and play video games or just talk. I’m lucky to be part of my family.

7. My Freedom – I don’t usually talk about current events, but China’s Hong Kong tyranny has reminded me of how precious freedom is. I’m grateful to be a U.S. citizen and to enjoy free speech and all the other freedoms this country holds sacred.

8. My Readers – Thank you to everyone who has given money this year to help me maintain this website. You know who you are, and you are all awesome! Also, anyone who reads my articles and gets something from them makes this worth it.

9. Increased Patience – It’s always been my deepest desire to improve myself. I’ve made big strides toward improving this year by being more patient with others and remaining calm in stressful situations. I’ll keep looking for more ways to be better.

10. Criticism – It hurts to be criticized, but I accept that I am not perfect and I need people’s help to notice my blind spots. I’ve learned many things about myself thanks to people saying blunt, even rude, things to me. I’ll take the good with the bad.

I’ll be back next week with a movie-related article. In the meantime, have a great time with your friends and family.

This is the Deja Reviewer wishing you a happy Thanksgiving.