Being thankful

On this day of turkey and all of the trimmings, family gatherings and waiting for the Bruins to play the Red Wings tomorrow, there are hockey-related things that I'm grateful for:

~ Colin's interest in hockey and becoming the best, all-around player that he can be. When we started this journey, raising a one-dimensional player was not our goal. No, it was raising a player who would do all of the things that a coach looks for -- hustling on every shift, backchecking like a madman, remembering to play the third-man high in the defensive zone and, as his coach puts, be a royal pain in the (butt).

Well, as long as he keeps doing that, and I can resist the urge to channel the late Herb Brooks and remain an overbearing taskmaster, he'll do just fine. I'm more interested in his effort than anything else. In time, his hard work and selfless play will be rewarded.

~ Benefiting from a dedicated hockey mom who's willing to put up with two goofy, hockey-loving dudes. From hanging out at ice-cold rinks for countless practices and games, to untold piles of stinky hockey clothes in the laundry room and to making between-game meals to hold down travel costs, Colin and I are very lucky to have the love of support of our hockey mom/wife.

~ Working with a pair of coaches who truly understand what we're trying to accomplish. Like I said above, there's a method to the madness. Yes, I hold Colin to a higher standard, trying to teach responsibility and never, ever taking anything for granted. If you don't like it, that's your problem, And, if I'm reliving my childhood through him, so be it. I'm doing what I can so he has all of the opportunities that I never had, for a variety of reasons, when I was a kid.

~ Finally, having the support and understanding of my bosses, who juggle my work schedule so I can attend as many games as I can and let me use comp time to duck out early on some Saturdays or arrive a little late on Sundays. When you work a newspaper schedule like I do, having those extra minutes before and after games makes a big difference. The same goes, too, for my generous co-workers, who've stepped up this week and participated on Colin's fundraiser..

More than anything else, though, I'm most thankful for being able to chase our dream. If you don't have one, please accept my apologies. Without one, there's little purpose to life.

From our house here in Hockey Bay to yours, we hope everyone has the happiest of Thanksgivings and safe travels.