I am hosting 2019’s last T-SQL Tuesday of the year. I chose to ask people to write on gifts they had received – by way of community, relationships, or even tech features. A rather loose definition , as the one and only Aaron Bertrand calls it 
I have a lot to be thankful for this year –
1 I took a strong liking to the graph data table feature in SQL Server and actually planned a book around it with another very popular author and mentor-friend. But the feature didn’t quite take off as I thought it would. But in the process, I relearned a lot of graph theory that I had learned in school, and also quite a bit about graph databases and how they work. Overall, it was a gift, although it didn’t quite pan out the way I thought it would.
2 I got more comfortable into my new role as dev/architect, which was a huge step away from DBA roles I had worked in for 20+ years. It has taken me a good two years to get comfortable with using GIT, working with devops as practiced at work, relearning TSQL and all that is needed in my job. It has been tough and very rewarding in the process. I consider the gig a gift, and have nothing but gratitude for the people I work with – in particular I would like to single out my colleague and dear friend from Spain – Efraim Sharon, our DBA team lead Mark Wilkinson, data science team lead Kevin Feasel and fellow dbas Andrew Pruski and Derek Fitzpatrick-Jolley. It is impossible to find a better group of people to work with.
3 I got back into speaking in a small way – i did two talks, one for the local user group and one for the PASS WIT chapter. Eugene Meidinger was my speaking mentor – he helped me with many tips and tricks, in addition to reviewing my slide set and giving valuable feedback. I consider it a true gift to have Eugene as my mentor-friend.
4 I was suspected of a serious illness and declared clear after many tests. It renewed my gratitude for the fragile gift that is life, and a renewed effort to appreciate every day I get and live it to the fullest.
5 I enjoyed hiking and exploring national parks in North Carolina and the Colorado mountains with my dear sister.
6 I attended my PASS Summit #16 and renewed many friendships, as well as made new ones. It remains to me the one place I go to recharge and refocus my professional life every year.
These are a few of my gifts for this year. I will end this post with the following quote and I believe this is important:
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” ? G.K. Chesterton