November 20

I am grateful for the arrival of the holidays, stress and all.  I am grateful for the "Happy Thanksgiving!" greetings among the staff today, among the chorale, at the grocery checkout. Smiles are more freely given at this time of year and that makes the world a better place.

I am grateful for good TV shows and tea and planning where to put the Christmas tree with my honey.

I am grateful for spontaneous dance parties with the kids, all of us jumping around the living room to Some Nights, Jack rocking his wiggly dance moves, Ivy spinning herself dizzy. I am grateful for the laughter of my family.

I am grateful for a good parent-teacher conference, for my "on-track" boy and the fact that he is getting along with others, listening to the teacher, growing right up in all the ways he should.  Not to mention that he knows what a rhombus is.  I am very, very grateful for friends who step in to stay with children to let us go to conferences together.

I am grateful for the day off tomorrow, even if I don't know what to do with it yet.  I am grateful that the busyness of today, that has gotten me so thoroughly tired, was all the good kind of busy,  rushing and prepping and go-go-going to get from one good thing to another:  the class feast with my students, time with my children, conferences, choir.  May the holiday season continue to be so full of the good.