Hello Friend,

This has been a trying year. We know there are concerns that may be weighing on you this holiday, with shrinking nest eggs, a dizzying stock market, rising unemployment and a financial crisis more serious than anything we’ve seen in the last 80 years.

In many ways, however, these troubled times make it even more important to take a moment to reflect on the blessings in your life. Most of us really are quite fortunate and have many things for which we should be truly thankful.

Here are just a few of the things we can all give thanks for this holiday:

• For our ability to see the humor in life and share that perspective and our experiences with others.
• For true friends who provide love and support in good times and bad.
• For our veterans, living and gone, who have, and continue, to sacrifice so much for our freedom…with a special “thanks” to Ken’s Vietnam buddies with whom he was proud to serve.
• For all the complaining that we hear about our government! Why? Because it means we live in a country that respects our right to freedom of speech.
• For the right to try something and fail.
• For our country, that enables us to be thankful for everything.

We hope you'll share what you are thankful for in the comments below.

 Here are a few things, among many, for which we are very grateful.

• A happy and healthy family, including our daughter, Meredith, son-in-law, Keith and Daria’s Mom, who is still with us and is feistier than ever!
• A wonderful 39-year marriage that has brought great happiness and satisfaction to both of us and has inspired others to believe that a good marriage is more than a piece of paper; it’s worth working at every day to make it grow even richer and more meaningful over the years. (A lot of people ask us what our secret is, and quite honestly, part of it is the way we handle the finances. Here’s how we do it.)
• For parents who loved us unconditionally and, by their example, showed us how to love others.
• For the opportunity, through our more than 25 years in the media, to impact the lives of many Americans who want to take control of their money.
• For being credit card debt-free! (We invite you to join us. Trust us, it’s a great feeling! Follow our 10 easy steps to debt-free living.)
• For continuing good health, which is more precious than gold (which is saying a lot these days with record gold prices!). 
• Our heating bills, because they mean that our family is warm. (With winter coming, here are simple tips to save money on your heating bills plus super ways to save money on your energy costs in the kitchen cooking your Thanksgiving feast.)
• For the game of golf, a constant source of both enjoyment and abject frustration for us!
• For you and every member of our Dolans.com family, including our dedicated Dolans.com team without whom we could not spread our message of empowerment to people across America.

So enjoy the food, family and fun (and football if you’re a sports fan!). We wish much happiness to you and your family this Thanksgiving and throughout the upcoming holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ken and Daria Dolan