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It is traditional to think of the Thanksgiving holiday as a time to reflect on all we have received and to be thankful for it. Images of Pilgrims, Indians, trussed turkeys, and harvest bounty are standard. We are taught from a very young age that the early colonists set this day aside to express their thanks to their creator after enduring many seasons of hardship.

This past weekend I was reading an online article, which pointed out that Thanksgiving is also about community. The author stated “When the pilgrims sat down for a meal of gratitude with their Wampanog neighbors in Plymouth, Massachusetts all those years ago, it was a gesture of thanks for community that said “We couldn’t do this without you.”

I have spent the last few days thinking about all of the people in my life I could not have succeeded without – my community. First, there is my father who did something I will always be indebted for. He had the courage to start this business forty-one years ago, and much like the Pilgrims, endured the lean years and celebrated the bountiful years (though the Pilgrims might not have made it if they had to wait as long as he did). Not every idea Bill ever had was a winner, but there is one thing he did which I will always be grateful for. Dad encouraged my sister to join the agency, even though she was certain it would only be temporary. Today, Jinny and I still have a great partnership and she knows me so well it is almost spooky.

I am thankful for my team of managers, each talented in different ways, that keep the wheels turning and this ‘little engine that could’ steaming up hill. I am thankful for my employees who keep me focused on our mission and true to our values. I am thankful for my wife and children who are gracious and supportive and keep my priorities in order. I am thankful for my family and friends who keep me thinking about the meaning of life and help me stay balanced.

Though the importance of all of the people I have mentioned cannot be minimized, I have to admit I thought of you, our customers, first. We could not have done any of the things that make Tuscano different or that set us apart without our community, so, thanks.

I also read an article in a financial news magazine that the worst of the economic downturn should be behind us. Hopefully, that means you will have more new accounts to work on as people get back to the business of business. Which means we can all get back to the business of insurance.

While I get excited about the new opportunities that are coming our way in 2011, I don’t want anyone to forget about the programs that we built our reputation on. Tuscano is still your go-to market for writing vacant property, restaurants, trucking, daycare, and dwellings. You can also send us your tougher energy risks, including wind farms, over-the-hole mining operations, or risks with environmental exposures. We are even open for surplus lines business in over a dozen other states.

Life is too short not to be thankful!