This past weekend was the annual American celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday. I was quite fortunate to spend the early part of last week with a recent immigrant celebrating their first Thanksgiving. Seeing this uniquely American holiday through fresh eyes was a wonderful experience. The weekend also provided a break to think about the fantastic opportunities and experiences that brought us so far.

Nothing can compare to the feeling of being asked each night to rock one's little ones to sleep. Knowing in some intellectual way that these days won't last forever makes the heart desire to squeeze every extra moment out of these quiet times.

It also makes me keenly aware of how fortunate I am to have a fantastic profession that provides the opportunity to spend quality time with the family. And reflecting on the work and serendipity that brought me to spending my days in a profession that not only provides for the family but also a worldwide community of fantastic people I get to work with. Each year the community grows in unexpected ways and the Drupal project's slogan "Come for the code and stay for the community" proves itself over and over again.

Thanksgiving is a great time to focus one's reflection. However it's not enough to reflect once a year. Building the practice of reflection into one's life and work is key.