When things get complicated in life, it’s easy to lose sight of our blessings. Thanksgiving Day gives each of us a gentle nudge (maybe a solid shove?) to remind us to take a moment to recognize the many things we have to be thankful for.

The concept is no less true for a business than it is for individuals, and I’d like to step outside the mask of corporate identity I wear in writing this paper’s editorials each day to express my gratitude for the many people who make the Suffolk News-Herald special.

First, to my newsroom staff, I couldn’t be more blessed than I am to work with each of you. You’re consummate professionals, you’re far more talented than I deserve and you serve with a loyalty and devotion to the job that far exceeds what one might expect, considering the reality of it.

To my publisher, and to the Suffolk News-Herald’s owners, I am thankful for the latitude they continue to give me to produce the newspaper I believe the community deserves and wants. I express strong opinions on behalf of the News-Herald here on a regular basis, and folks regularly have their feathers ruffled, but I’ve always been able to count on the support of my superiors.

To the advertising, classified and business staff, my gratitude and clear recognition that none of this would happen without you. These folks sell the ads that pay the bills and put food on all our tables today. They handle the payroll and vacation and sick leave and billing and customer service and classified advertising and memorials and…. Suffice to say, it’s a very long list, and there isn’t enough time or space for me to express how thankful I am that I don’t have to do any of it.

To our advertisers, my family and I appreciate every column inch, every pixel and every insert you purchase in our newspaper, our magazines, our special sections and on our website. And I can guarantee you that, whatever the rest of the staff might think about the rest of this editorial, they absolutely agree with me on this point: You are the lifeblood of this newspaper, and you perform a vital public service by helping to keep it fiscally strong. We are pleased to be able to do the same for your business and are always eager to do what we can — within the obvious bounds of legality, objectivity and fairness — to help you improve your bottom line.

And finally, the best for last: To our dear readers goes our greatest thanks. It still stuns me sometimes to hear a stranger remark on a column or editorial after hearing my name. Even after all these years, I’m still thrilled when I see someone reading through the front page in a restaurant. You guys are why we all do what we do at the Suffolk News-Herald, and we don’t want to miss another chance to say this: THANK YOU!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Res Spears

Editor