30 Days of Thanks: Day 30

As I was getting ready for work this morning, I realized today was the last official day of this challenge I set for myself.  And I gotta tell you, it's bittersweet.

When I started this challenge, I felt like I did a pretty decent job being thankful for the big things like God, my house, my loved ones, my job, food to eat, etc.  But I felt like I missed out on so many little opportunities to be grateful.

And so I set off on day 1 to find something small, something I would normally not even notice, to be be thankful for.  And a funny thing happened, I found lots of little things to be thankful for.

And I found that to be true the next day.

And the next day.

And even the day after that.

Pretty soon I found myself jotting things down throughout the day, chomping at the bit to come home and drop them into that day's list.  I'm sure that nasty, negative, unfair, ugly things happened all around me this month, but for the life of me I just can't think of a single one.  My brain space is filled with a jumble of wonderful things I'm just dying to list.

And so on the eve of a new month, it's not surprising to me that today's list is long.  After this month I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have so, so much to be thankful for.  And that giving thanks for something, no matter how small, has made a big difference in my life.

Today I'm thankful for...

• my hardworking husband


• productive work days


• warm jackets


• outside recess


• parent volunteers


• my sweet students who just wanted to write and write and write some more


• the senators who voted no today


• burritos


• blueberries


• chivalry


• a quiet house


• morning prayer


• Christmas music


• conversations with my mom


• singing with my class


• the book The Velveteen Rabbit, even though it makes me cry every December


• phrases my little ones write, like "clouds prickling in the sky"


• laughing so hard I cried

and last, but not least,

• you, dear reader.  You've been great company this month and I've loved hearing about all the things you have to be thankful for, too.