Gratitude Lately

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! Hope you are set for an awesome day with family and friends. Before I get to the turkey, a little bit of gratitude on this November day.

Thankful for a five day Thanksgiving holiday, to see friends and family, to rest, to catch up, to spend time doing the things I enjoy.

Thankful for the kids I teach. I think they're so smart and talented and kind, and also, like all kids at this age, don't always get the consequences of their actions, which makes this life's work demanding and complicated, but so rewarding.

Thankful for these thankful notes our PBIS team put on, and messages from students.

The longer note reads, "Thank you Ms. Brezek for being a good teacher! I know most students do not like you, but I do. You're just really strict, but I like that about you because it keeps me on time in class and helps me do my work faster. Ok, I didn't mean "really strict." I meant you're a little bit strict. To other students you're "super strict" though. Thanks for being there to help me succeed and be a good reader and writer!"

Thankful that I continue to put myself out there in an authentic way, even if it doesn't always work out in my favor.... both in my personal and professional life. Thanks to Jennifer at Cult of Pedagogy for this, I can totally relate.

Thankful for family who is always there at a moment's notice when something goes wrong. Thankful that even though my car is smashed, I am not. (Well, hoping to be tonight, lol) :P

Thankful for Landmark Forum and it's personal/professional development sessions. It has has really shown me how to live my best life - to live more powerfully in all aspects of my life, with freedom and self-expression, and has created a greater sense of peace of mind. It's by far the best personal and professional development session I've ever participated in. Do not believe what the blogs out there say. Landmark will change your life.

Thankful for my niece, who will be my Goddaughter in April. And thankful for text messages and a shared love of Young Adult Lit.

Speaking of books - currently reading On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life. Once again I am reminded that gratitude turns what we have into enough.

Thankful for a growing family of Arbonne sisters.

Thankful for Old St. Pat's. Every time I'm there, I laugh, learn something new, and leave feeling so perfectly peaceful, which is exactly what I need on Sunday evenings.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends and family!

What are you thankful for?

On Your Birthday

Birthdays are the best.

On a birthday, you get 100 messages on facebook wishing you the best day. Sometimes they tell you that you are amazing and loyal and fun and that they're thankful to celebrate 20 years of friendship with you or that you should celebrate with drinks until you #CloseOneEyeTonight.

On your birthday, kids wait around after school to find you, just to give you some of their Halloween candy. (Which from it you take one favorite and then politely decline the rest because, let's be honest, if you take it all home, self-control goes out the window.)

On your birthday, you've already talked to your parents, because they wanted to be first and so they Facetimed you last night.

On your birthday, text messages roll in like the tide on a warm summer day, with those little balloons that are all over the new Verizon commercial. And speaking of a warm day...

On your birthday, the weather is 70 degrees. On November 1st.

On your birthday, your friends at work not only light candles and sing to you, but turn off the lights in the teacher's lounge to do so. And you feel silly and like a little kid, but you secretly love it.

On your birthday, you hear the voice of each person who writes you a card through their words. One ends with the LOVE in huge caps and hearts all over, and you can hear the way she means it, because she yells it down hallways, across classrooms, and generally speaking, when you are in her presence. And she is so full of love. And you are lucky to have her in your life.

On your birthday, a whole new group of sisters you've found via Arbonne text or leave you the most meaningful notes on facebook, telling you to keep dreaming and keep reaching towards the sky. And so even though October did not go as you expected, your faith is renewed, and reaching toward the sky you continue to do.

On your birthday, the Cubbies are still playing baseball. In November. And a birthday Grand Slam comes in the top of the third.

On your birthday, Starbucks and balloons arrive to your classroom before most people are even awake for their corporate jobs.

On your birthday, you find an unsigned note on your desk from a student... and you know that all the nagging and strictness is okay with them, and you forgive yourself for all the things you didn't get to last quarter, because they are good people.

On your birthday, the Fed Fam sends over balloons and a fruit bouquet so you can celebrate but be healthy, too. (You eat the chocolate covered strawberries first!)

On your birthday, you go shoe shopping!

On your birthday, you reconnect with your blog, because saving the moments of this amazing life is such a blessing.

And....
On your birthday, you hope all the people in your life know just how thankful you are for each. one. of. them. Yes, I mean you.