Thank you, Readers.

Today is Thanksgiving Day. The official Canadian holiday that forces us to think about what in our lives we have to be grateful for.

When I was in school, we made turkeys and cornucopias out of construction paper to bring home for our mothers to stick on the fridge. We learned how important it is to count our blessings and to not take them for granted.

I have many things to be thankful for.

I was born in Canada. I have freedom, good health, a fully-functional body, a loving family, many good friends, a warm house, plenty of food to eat, and a career that I love. I’ve been given the opportunity to follow my dream of writing books, and there are people who actually read the books that I write.

I am fully aware that I am living a charmed life and I do my best every day not to take that for granted.

But there are other things I have to be thankful for, beyond those usual suspects.

Last week, I visited the middle grade students at Spring Park School in Charlottetown. As usual, I had a wonderful time. But two of the questions I was asked that day really stood out to me, and reminded me of a couple of other things I have to be thankful for.

One girl asked me: Do you need to have a good imagination to write your books?

My answer was that, yes, my books do require me to have a good imagination. I told stories about how my sister and I spent our early years outside playing and creating our own fun. We made homes in the trees, worlds in the forest, and stone castles on the rocky shore of “our” beach.

Imaginative play was the cornerstone of my childhood. Mom and Dad were always making up stories for us, taking us for walks and pointing out where fairies might be, and if we ever said we were bored? Well. We had no video game consoles or iPods to turn to. We were told to use our imaginations.

The rewards that upbringing has left me with as an adult? Priceless.

I am thankful for the sister I had to play with, the magical property surrounding my childhood home, and the imagination I’ve been building on since I was a tiny child.

The other question I was asked last week was, “What inspires you to write these books.”

When I first answered that question a couple of years ago, I probably would have said that my children inspire me. And they do! But, my answer that day was closer to the truth, I think. I said, “You inspire me to write these books. Because if it weren’t for readers, I wouldn’t be writing them.”

Thank you, Dear Readers. I am so thankful for you. ♥

Happy Thanksgiving.