On the Eve of a Passage, a Host of Thanks

If all goes as planned, this will be the last Thanksgiving in which my name appears on The Post's masthead as deputy editorial page editor. It will also end 16 years of writing Post editorials. I will continue to write this weekly column. But soon, very soon, my editing and editorial writing will be tasks of the past.

That said, it seems appropriate to share some of what I'll be giving thanks for come Thursday.

Family, friends and faith come first. I have been blessed with an undeserved abundance of each, without which there is no me. I treasure them all -- especially those five grandchildren.

But this writing perch has also given me a chance to get to know and appreciate a host of other people without whom my days at The Post would have little meaning. They have been simply indispensable to what I have done or have tried to do since coming here. In no particular order, but in the category of "all-important," I shall give a heartfelt thanks for:

Copy editors. They are to writers what automobile mechanics are to NASCAR. We simply can't do it without them. Take away copy editors, and we're stuck at our desktops. The list of names I have to thank is long. Space won't allow it. Each person, suffice it to say, was of the first rank, will never be forgotten and will always be appreciated.

Post cafeteria workers and building guards. Now, here are colleagues of real consequence. Speaking selfishly, I can say that they kept me well-fed and safe all these years. And as busy as they were, they always had time to speak. What's more, I really liked the cafeteria food. Lunch off a cafeteria tray at my desk with something good to read always topped dining at a showplace restaurant. On top of that, I was able to pursue my work secure in the knowledge that our building -- only a few blocks from the White House -- was well protected. To cooks, servers and guards go all the honor, glory and thanks.

Political candidates and officials. Having had the pleasure of meeting many if not most of the men and women who have sought elective office in the District of Columbia since 1990, I can say that the city is fortunate to have so many people willing to put themselves forward as public servants. Yes, some were better than others. And yes, they ranged from sterling to stupefying. But most had something that few of us have: the courage, self-confidence and public spirit to step up and -- risking rejection -- publicly ask fellow residents to give them a chance to serve. Without such citizens, we have no government. Many thanks to them, winners and

losers.

Helping professions. I've written volumes of angry words about people who are charged with tending to the sick, the poor and our most vulnerable citizens and who simply fail to do their jobs. Incompetent and unfit workers exist in the District as they do elsewhere. But they are outnumbered by men and women who labor far from public view 24-7 and who give their all to make life a little easier for people needing help, especially those who have nowhere to turn but to their city. The overwhelming majority of social workers, nurses and physicians, hospital orderlies, counselors, intake workers, therapists and emergency workers I have met have been great to deal with.

Cops. Talk about men and women we owe big-time. Well, I owe them big-time, anyway. Seeing them up close and in action has been inspiring, especially when they are hauling butt toward danger while the rest of us are looking for a place to hide. They take their lumps from the media for mistakes. But, remember, they're the ones in the line of fire. I've been reminded of that fact many times; hence they make Thursday's list.

Parents. Can't say enough about them. There probably has never been a perfect time to raise kids. But editorial writing and my own personal experience have led me to many D.C. parents who struggle daily with underperforming schools, officials who give them lip service and children who are faced with pressures that some of us old folks never knew at their ages. But while life is no tea party for many of those parents, most still play by the rules and try to teach their children to do the same thing. The city doesn't make it easy for those parents, which is all the more reason to give thanks for them.

Teachers. If people were paid by their importance, teachers would be millionaires. Despite the steady drumbeat of bad stories, District teachers are performing work of exceptional value given what they are asked to do. We expect them to work in a system where the majority of students live in poverty -- with all that entails -- and to teach in dilapidated buildings with haphazard educational resources, and still turn out a world-class system. I've seen them go at it, against all odds. Thank goodness for them.