I’m sitting at my desk staring at the screen and thinking that I have just started another one of those projects I’m accused of never finishing. I’m up to 19,032 words and thinking I should have started sooner. Actually, I should have started a lot sooner.

I’m writing as fast as I can to attempt to finish a novel this month as a participant in National Novel Writing Month. I should have started Nov. 1, but somehow failed to start until Nov. 19. The assignment requires a minimum of 50,000 words and this story looks like it will take more. Folly? Yes. But I’m known to engage in folly.

The reason I can get away with some of these stunts is the patience of my family. They put up with me when others would just give up. They support me, even if it is to say, why? Like how my daughter rubbed my back last night, or my son asked me what I was doing and was actually interested. My wife who rolls her eyes a bit, but is ready with an attentive smile and pretends to be excited when I tell her the next plot point. She knows this is important today, and for that I am thankful.

There will be other projects and other flights of folly. I know that a host of people will be there to cheer me on.

This is the week of Thanksgiving. Many of my friends have spent the month counting down and listing all of the things they are thankful for. I chose to do it this week. I’m participating in Tweetsgiving, a project organized by Danny Brown and  Epic Change with the intent of allowing others to show their gratitude by giving back this holiday. If you have been blessed this year, I encourage you to check out it out.

I am grateful for the many people I know who go out of their way to help me change and improve. I am thankful for the friendship of hundreds of people. I don’t always take the time to thank you and honor your assistance in my life. That doesn’t mean that I do not think about you everyday. Thank you.

This post was created as part of a global groundswell of gratitude called TweetsGiving. The celebration, created by US nonprofit Epic Change, is an experiment in social innovation that seeks to change the world through the power of gratitude. I hope you’ll visit the TweetsGiving site to learn more, and to bring your grateful heart to the party by sharing your gratitude, and giving in honor of that for which you’re most thankful.