Thankful for... the season

This is my favorite time of year - the gift finding/gift giving, the baking, the good will, the energy, the story of hope and love found in the birth-story of Jesus, the music, the colors.... Christmas is a magical time of year and I am thankful for it's arrival every year.

Happy Holidays!

Thankful for... students

When I started Writing Club this year, I knew it would be different - a different structure, different kids, different plan. And the first couple days we met, only a few students came. Word was still getting out that we were meeting again. And it just didn't feel the same. I wondered if it ever would.

Now that we are a few months into things, we are on a roll. We have a good number of students regularly participating. The energy in the room when they are writing and talking is infectious. I love listening to their passion as they share their ideas and the things they are working on. They challenge me to be at my best when I am with them - I can't just "phone it in." And I don't want to - they are worth my time and best effort.

I am so thankful for my students and the role they play in my life.

Thankful for...passions

I am passionate about many things - paper crafts, cross stitch, reading, books, kids and books, writing, my family, my son's school, advocacy for kids, education, .... The list goes on and on. 

At times those passions border on obsession or compulsion. Like anything, they can have a "dark" side. But when kept in balance, they are the things that make life interesting. They are the things that make people interesting. Find someone with a similar passion and feel the energy change in a conversation as you connect over that shared passion. Watch someone "in their element," doing their thing, watch their face light up with that passion - it is inspiring.

I am thankful that I have found things in life to be passionate about.

Thankful for... Facebook

Facebook is something of a blessing and a curse. It is a time-suck. It can be used in self-serving, arrogant ways - "Look at me!" It can be addicting.

But I am thankful for the way it helps me stay connected with people and stay informed on their lives. I am thankful for the news it directs me to - I feel like a more informed citizen thanks to Facebook. I can communicate things to family and friends so much faster than emails or phone calls (as long as those folks are as Facebook connected as I am). I can make lunch plans, coordinate charitable events, and celebrate milestones with friends.

Facebook is a tool I am thankful for.

Thankful for... generations of women

It is a season of thankfulness. Really, any time is a good time to be thankful for the blessings of life, but the holiday season lends itself to taking a few moments to be thankful.

Today I am thankful for generations of women in my life. I have the privilege of interacting with women at church and in Sunday school, at school, and during the course of the week, who are older and younger than I am, and I learn so much from them. I get to watch the older women negotiate seasons of life I haven't experienced and I can learn from them. I get to interact with younger women who have had different life experiences than I have had and I get to learn from them as well. 

These women encourage, inspire, and bless me and I am thankful for them.