Like so many of you, the holidays are my favorite time of year, a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time when, as Scrooge’s nephew Fred reminds us, “men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely.” Since President Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation that a national day of Thanksgiving would be held each year, making official a practice held by individual colonies and states for two centuries, it has become our annual pastime to take a moment and reflect upon what we are grateful for. This is my own such list this year.
As always, my family and friends top this list for me every year. I was born into a family that never ceased encouraging me, and instilled in me the firm belief that anything was achievable. I continue to be grateful for their presence in my life every single day. And I have been further blessed to be surrounded by dear friends that I am proud to know and work with. Two years ago, my partner Tess and Production Manager Gina threw me a massive surprise birthday party, and I clearly remember the moment I looked around me at all the wonderful people present that night and thought, “If I am to be judged not on my merits, but rather on the quality of people I have in my life, then I am a blessed man indeed.”
I am grateful as well for the gift of good health, a gift not everyone receives, and one I came close to losing years ago. After making a number of lifestyle changes and with the dedicated care of terrific doctors, I was told two years ago that I am cancer free. Those two words will always hold a special place in my heart, for they are among the sweetest I have ever heard. Thank you to all of you who reached out during that time; your prayers and encouragement were a great comfort indeed.
The blessings my career has brought me continue to manifest in my life every single day, and I am more grateful for it than I can articulate. As a lifelong fan of literature and the spoken word, it still boggles my mind that every single day of my life I am afforded the privilege of narrating exquisite works of art – and get paid for it! My career has brought many new relationships into my life, including authors I had only dreamed of one day getting to know, as well as publishers whose work has inspired me for decades. Being associated with both them and their work continues to enrich my life, and I am so thankful for all they have brought me. Today I awoke to the news that I am part of the inaugural class in Audible’s Narrator Hall of Fame, a blessing I never could have imagined. My thanks to everyone who helped me along the way to this wonderful honor, I am hugely grateful.
Which brings me to you, the listeners who have invited me into your lives and grant me the privilege of reading you stories. Without you, none of us in the audiobook industry would be where we are today, and we owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude. On behalf of all my colleagues, thank you for the countless hours you have spent with us. For someone who makes a living speaking, it is somewhat ironic to realize that each and every one of you listeners is a gift beyond words. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.
But as William Arthur Ward reminds us, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it as like wrapping a present and not giving it.” So, we here at Brick by Brick Audiobooks have a number of things in the works to help us better express our gratitude, which we will spread out over this holiday season, the first of which is our Black Friday Sale. My profound thanks for all the support you have shown over the years, which enables us to continue finding great stories and the writers who tell them, and to bring them to audio. Without you, none of this would be possible.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and thanks for listening.
Scott Brick
