We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in my home country of the UK or my new home in Spain, but the day always gives me pause for thought and I use it as a day to count my blessings.
One of the many things I am thankful for is the fact that my job is my passion. I spend every day doing what I love – knee deep, or rather neck deep, in Tudor history. When I started The Anne Boleyn Files back in February 2009 as a diary of my research into Anne’s life I never dreamt that I would one day be corresponding with people from all over the world about Tudor history, publishing books on history, givng talks on it, doing full-time research etc. It really is a dream come true and I am thankful for it.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support and encouragement I’ve received. If nobody had ever stumbled on The Anne Boleyn Files and offered me encouragement then it really would have been a different story and I’d still be doing general freelance writing. I’ve had my fair shares of knocks, but it’s so much easier to pick yourself up and dust yourself off when you have people rooting for you – Thank you to all my followers, fellow bloggers and writers, and the new friends I have made.
I’m also thankful for my family. My children have come to accept that Tudor history is a big part of our life and Tim works alongside me on projects, helping me turn my ideas into reality. My daughter Verity played a big part in my most recent project and it was wonderful to work with her. A big thank you to Tim, Christian, Verity and Joel.
And a big thank you to the teachers I had in childhood who encouraged my love of writing and history. Teachers have such power and I was lucky that my interests were nurtured.
Finally a thank you to the many historians and authors who have corresponded with me, listened to me, advised me and been kind enough to help me in many different ways. You could have looked down on me as “just a blogger”, but you didn’t and I am truly thankful.
Thank you.
Happy Thanksgiving to all those celebrating today!
Thank you! Being in America, I wake each morning to a new post. It is the only way to start the day for me! Enjoy your Thanksgiving, which needs no outside endorsement, it really just comes from our hearts. (Well, Grandma’s apple pie doesn’t hurt!) God Bless! !
I am also thankful, besides many things in my personal life, that I am found a new interesting hobby, namely AB. Studying her life in history and fiction, this side has been very helpful.
Thank you, Claire!
Your initial dream that set you on the path to your passionate ‘affair’ with Anne Boleyn and the Tudors, to re-discover them, and present them in a new light, has become one of our blessings too…so Thank You, My Lady…lol. 🙂
I always enjoy reading the articles on the Anne Boleyn files, I have learnt and continue to learn so much about Tudor History and all things Anne Boleyn. Thank you Claire for such a great website and for all your hard work in giving us the readers, so much information on such a fascinating figure.
Enjoy your weekend!!
Thank you for all the hard work, and for generously sharing your research.
Marilyn x
This website is one of the many things for which I am thankful, as I learn a great deal h ere. Thank you for your work.
I am sure everyone had a teacher in their past who was special; whose passion and enthusiasm lit up the dull classroom and made her subject come alive; who taught you, the daydreamer, to think, really think, about her subject, until you found that you were really good at it, getting A’s and beginning to think of it as ‘your’ subject too. That classroom may be long gone but we have found that special teacher again in you, Claire. What I admire most and consciously try to emulate, is the respect and impartiality you bring to your extensive research. Everyone gets a fair hearing in your classroom of the air. Thank you so much.
Wow, thank you, Globerose, your words really have made my day. From my own experiences as a student, teacher and parent, I know just how powerful teachers are. It only takes a thoughtless and flippant remark to turn a someone off learning, so I do try to encourage people in my interactions. I still have so much to learn about researching , writing and teaching, but I’m glad that people enjoy what I do and what I share. Thank you!
Thanks for the work and research that you have to put into the articles and for a site that tries to make the world see Anne Boleyn more favourably and encourages debate on important aspects of her life. Thank you also for keeping passion for Tudor history alive.
Although Thanksgiving is a day for America’s people to remember their pioneers and to make thanks with family and friends, I think it would be nice to have a simple national day of thanksgiving and remembering our own heritages. Every day give thanks for blessings someone told me once, even ones you have lost. Time, a few minutes only to think, remember and give thanks does nobody any harm.