Food to Eat

30 Days of Thankful 2014 - Day 7 - FOOD TO EAT

As a very picky eater, I remember numerous occasions that my mother dealt with my complaining about meal choices with a remark that sounded something like "Think of all the starving children in Africa."   At the time, I most likely responded with a roll of my eyes and secretly (or maybe not so secretly at times) thought "I'd  be happy to ship this over to them."   Now, as an adult, I have become so much more aware of how very fortunate I am to have plenty of FOOD TO EAT.  While I may have hunger pains from time to time, it is generally from not getting to eat right when I want to and not from a true hunger or shortage of food.  

In my state alone, one in 6 people struggles with hunger and 23% of all of the children experience "food insecurity".   Those numbers are astonishing and heartbreaking at the same time.  I am thankful that I have the opportunity to work with organizations that help provide FOOD TO EAT for those that are less fortunate than me and hope to work on some new projects to address this in the coming year.

Today is the day for you to be thankful for FOOD TO EAT.  How will you capture that on Instagram?

Friendship

30 Days of Thankful 2014 - Day 6 - FRIENDSHIP

FRIENDSHIP is one of life's most wonderful treasures.   It is so important to have someone to laugh with, to cry with, to bounce ideas off of or just to be silent.   Some people have one person that takes on all of those roles for them, while others enjoy a whole host of people that each fill a particular need.   Throughout the years, I have been blessed with FRIENDSHIPS on many different levels-- some lasted for just a season, while others have endured the test of time.

I hope that you are reminded today of your special FRIENDSHIPS and find a special way to pay depict this prompt.  As I write this, I am reminded of how very thankful I am for each of you---some I know very well and others I have only met through this challenge.   But, it's true---Life is better with friends!

Freedom

30 Days of Thankful 2014 - Day 5 - FREEDOM

Everyone remembers exactly where they were and what they were doing on 9-11-2001, when we received word that two planes had flown into the twin towers.  I was working with a small group of children in a kindergarten class while the classroom teacher worked with another group.  Her phone rang and she answered it, expecting to get word on her young son, who was sick.  As I saw her facial expression register disbelief, I naturally thought that she needed to leave to be with him.  She hung up the phone, and told me that her husband had just called to tell her about the terrorist attack.  With my brother and his family living in NYC, I was anxious to get word that they were safe, so I left her room to try to find a television where I could watch the broadcast.

The rest of the day was a blur of bad news, snippets of news broadcasts, Air Force One flying overhead. . .  and fear.  The FREEDOM that we had always taken for granted, suddenly seemed in danger.  When I arrived home, I turned on the tv and watched for hours on end, trying to make sense of what had just happened.  However, I distinctly remember that at some point on that first day, I watched a live broadcast of many of our nation's leaders gathering on the front steps of the Capitol and singing "God Bless America".  It was an emotional moment, and a reminder of the FREEDOM we enjoy, and how blessed we are to enjoy it.

Before almost every race that I have ever participated in or attended, there is a moment when all the runners stop and turn their attention to the American Flag as the Star Spangled Banner is sung.   It never fails to move me---in the midst of chaos and excitement, every person stops, turns to our flag, and are once again reminded how very blessed we are to experience such FREEDOM.

What will you find today that depicts FREEDOM to you?   Is it a patriotic symbol, an open door or perhaps something more personal?

What I Wore

30 Days Of Thankful 2014 - Day 4 - WHAT I WORE

Some of the bloggers I follow present a weekly post called "WHAT I WORE".  They generally take a cute picture of themselves in a few outfits that they've worn that week and list where they found each part of the outfit, along with accessories.  Sometimes the combinations are cute and inspirational to copy, but other times, not so much.  Last week, I participated in a "Week In The Life" project, a way to document the ordinary events in your life for one week's time.  While I didn't document all of my outfits, I did manage to take a photo of my shoes each morning before I left for work.  Doing so, gave a glimpse into my closet and how I chose to dress for each occasion during that week.  (right after I took this photo, I noticed that the little bow on one of my shoes had fallen off, so I had to snip the other one off once I got to work).

Over the years, I've learned that my own personal style is more about comfort than high style.  I've even become more confident embracing that comfortable style.  I'm thankful, however, for the many different designs of clothing and that there is truly something for everyone.  Can't wait to see "WHAT YOU WORE" today!

Education

30 Days of Thankful 2014 - Day 3 - Education

I know that there are several teachers in this group, and several more that work in an school environment, so EDUCATION is obviously important to us.  But, why?  I am an inclusion teacher that teaches preschool special EDUCATION.  In fact, I'm one of those few people that always knew what I wanted to "be when I grow up".  Other than a brief period of time in second grade when I thought I wanted to be a nurse (and we won't count the period when I wanted to grow up and be a zebra because they were so interesting), I knew that I wanted to be a teacher.  A special EDUCATION teacher, at that.

While, I am certainly looking forward to retirement in a couple of years, I still love my job.  There is something so amazing about seeing a student "catch on" and finally understand a concept.   Working with special needs children has given me the opportunity to see this on so many different levels, whether it be the realization that numbers have meaning or that those little squiggles on paper actually mean something to the challenge of finally making eye contact with an autistic child.  I firmly believe that EVERY child can learn and will learn if given the opportunity, and enjoy the challenge of figuring out what makes my students "tick" and how to best present information so that they can learn.  Each accomplishment is a cause for celebration and opens the world a little bit more to the student.  

EDUCATION was valued in my family and we were all encouraged to pursue our dreams, however they presented themselves.  Unfortunately, EDUCATION is not available to everyone in the world and is not valued by many people.  But, today I give thanks for EDUCATION and for all those that made it possible for me and my family.

Nature

30 Days of Thankful - Day 2 - NATURE

I know that some people hate spiders and others associate them with Halloween, but there is no denying the wonderful hand of NATURE at work in their webs.   Each time I see one, I am completely in awe.  How can one tiny little creature dangle on such delicate threads and weave something so magnificent in such a short period of time?   Recently, I returned home from church one afternoon, to find this stretched between my fence and a nearby bush.  The sun was shining brightly, and it made the silky strings glisten like diamonds.  Even the spider was pretty incredible in my opinion (although I'm happiest when they are outdoors).

I think that NATURE is one of God's most amazing creations, so it is only natural that I feel closest to Him when I am outdoors surrounded by it.  What gift of NATURE are you going to capture today?

Home

30 Days of Thankful - Day 1 - HOME

I've lived in my house for 20+ years.  It's not all fancy--a very ordinary house that is rather small in comparison to those of many of my friends.  It's an older house that seems to always "need" something---more storage, bigger bathrooms, new paint, repairs to the ceiling.  The list goes on and on.  Since Ron and I married, we sometimes talk about moving---it would great to have something a little bigger when family comes to visit.   But, in the meantime (and quite possibly forever), we've worked to make it better.  And if I'm really honest, deep down, I don't want to leave it because it feels like HOME to me.  It's safe, and there are great neighbors and it's where I raised my girls.  There are bigger places and nicer places, but they aren't HOME.

What is HOME to you?  Is it a building?  Is it a town?  Is it a feeling?

Be sure to tag your photos with our special hashtag #30DaysOfThankful.   Thanks for joining me as we celebrate the wonderful parts of our lives.