As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let me take a moment to list the things that I am thankful for:

1.  A spouse who is agreeable, understanding, lives within our budget, and never ever calls me at work to see when I am coming home.

2.  Children who make straight A’s in school and do not whine, complain or make demands.

3.  Staff and colleagues who never show up late, call in sick, or take vacations and who make my work easier not harder.

4.  Vendors who keep our computers running perfectly all the time, serve summons, print stationery, prepare transcripts and don’t charge an arm and a leg.

5.  Clients who appreciate our work for them, acknowledge it, and pay their invoices promptly and cheerfully.

6.  Opposing counsel who return phone calls, act civilly, and work with us to resolve cases.

7.  Judges who nod in agreement with what we argue, sustain our objections, overrule our opponents, grant our motions, and remark that our clients have hired such skilled, experienced and wise counsel.

Wait a minute.  What fun would that kind of life be?  A life without surprise, difficulties and challenges would be pretty boring.  So instead, let me be thankful for every day that I wake up with problems to solve.  That’s what makes life interesting.