But I'm struggling with thankfulness myself this year.

I'm determined to rise above it, though, because at the end of the day, I'm pretty lucky. So it's in that spirit that I'd like to offer up a few of my own thoughts of gratitude—both personal and professional.

I'm grateful for my family, each and every one of whom I did nothing to deserve. I am—simply put—blessed. Sure, we have our problems (and I probably don't cut my son nearly enough slack) but I wouldn't trade any of them for the world.

I'm grateful for this job—and the fantastic group of people I work with who are nothing less than my second family. In an era where it's almost expected that you're either out of a job or just hate the one you're in, I'm fortunate enough to not only write for a living, but to do so with the funniest, smartest, most compassionate bunch of people I know. We might not be the most professional crew, but, damn we're good —and we have a blast.

Which brings me to you. Sure, we have our differences sometimes, and there'll always be trolls who are never happy with anything. But our audience is the best. I've worked for a number of different publications over the years, and I've never had an audience as engaged and invested in their industry as this one.

This isn't just a job for you. And that's what I like best. You're out there honestly making a difference in people's lives, whether it's in the form of simple health insurance, advising on the value of a life insurance policy or helping someone shore up their retirement plan.

What you're doing is irreplaceable. If it was just about pushing products, the carriers would've taken over years ago. And the feds think they're gonna make things easier—whether it's in the exchanges or with a few more regulations. Because the IRS hasn't already floated the careers of accountants and tax attorneys for decades already.

Finally I'm thankful every time I get to meet our readers in person. It's the best part of traveling—aside from the cocktail receptions—but they usually go hand-in-hand.

Speaking of which, you might have seen our own show will be landing in San Diego next year. There's something to be thankful for right there…bunch of brokers drinking on the beach. Seriously, though, we've already got a couple of great keynotes lined up in journalist Ezra Klein and former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum. Good stuff, huh? I'm still working on a couple of others, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, here's wishing you and yours the best of Thanksgivings and we'll see you on the other side of the pumpkin pie.