On this day set aside for giving thanks, I wanted to take a moment to once again count my fangirl blessings. I have so much to be grateful for as the creator of this website, a website that continues to fill me with joy, pride, and excitement every day. After over two years captaining the good ship NGN, I am grateful for the fact that this little labor of love has grown so much and yet still feels as deeply personal as it did the day I started it.

When I take a step back and look at NGN, more than anything I am grateful for the people who have made this website a place that I am so proud to call mine. Because, for as much as I say NGN is mine; it’s really yours, too. All of you who comment here and so generously share your thoughts and feelings have created a space that feels like a home and a family for so many fellow fans who haven’t felt that in a long time—if ever—myself included.

I am thankful for my wonderful contributing writers, especially my beautiful tropical fish, Heather. Whenever I need someone to step in and write a post when I can’t or someone to listen to me work through my feelings before writing a post myself, I know I can always count on her. Beyond that, though, Heather has become one of my dearest friends—someone I can talk to about everything from my job to my dreams to my feelings about every TV character under the sun. On this Thanksgiving Day, I would be remiss without thanking her for all of the hard work she puts in helping me here at NGN and also for her friendship.

Finally, I am grateful to every single one of you who has embraced and helped spread the mission of NGN: It’s more fun and fulfilling to find reasons to love something than reasons to tear something down. The Internet can be an unbearably depressing place at times, so I am thankful beyond words that NGN is a place that is driven by positivity—and that comes from all of you who join in the discussions we have here. And thank you to all of you who spread your love and enthusiasm for this site on Twitter, Tumblr, and every other form of social media. I appreciate every kind word more than I can say, and it’s an honor to see my words as inspiration for some beautiful works of fan art I’ve seen around the Internet this year.

So thank you. Thank you for helping me make fandom a little bit brighter and more positive. Thank you for the kindness you show towards me and towards one another. Thank you for your infectious joy and your articulate discussions. And thank you to those of you I am blessed to call friends for your friendship.

I hope all of you who celebrate have a wonderful Thanksgiving. And even if you don’t celebrate the holiday, I wish you and those you love a day filled with warmth and happiness.