It is November. You cannot possibly read into my words the amount of relief I possess at being able to type those words. October brings with it many reasons to celebrate. Most notable of those is our daughter’s birthday. However, along with much good, it is also attached to an overload of bad memories, bad emotions, and a sense of busyness that leaves me exhausted. Taking a look over my history in the month of October, I seem to plunge downward at this same time each year. Sickness often invades my body, shame and anger rise to the surface, and there isn’t one single minute to sit and sort through it. Now that I know the pattern, I am hoping to not fall into next year, but for now, I am just relieved that it is November.
Today as I was sharing with my students that they would be making a list as well, it hit me that while I believe we should focus on being grateful in this season of each year, it goes far deeper than just a holiday this month. My celebration of thankfulness hinges on the immense relief felt with the passing of October. Apparently, during October, I barely remember to breathe. November waltzes in with its pretty colors and cooler weather, and I find myself taking those deeply needed breaths.
Every November I take the month to be grateful. Many people do the same, as it is the month in which we intentionally choose to be thankful. For me though, it is clearly more than following a trend or holiday. It is my very heart crying out with gratitude for all of the things that make life worth living.
Which leads me to my gratitude list. Today, I am thankful for the people in my life. I am thankful that I have people in my life who love me, support me, encourage me, and are willing to speak truth to me, even when the truth is hard. I am thankful for people who make me laugh, think, and relax. I am thankful for people who model what love, kindness, and mercy look and sound like. I am thankful for people who don’t look, sound, act, or think just like me for I have learned much from them. I am thankful for those who send cards, those who pray, those who text even when they really want to talk on the phone. I’m thankful for teachers who help with lesson plans, activities, testing, and all things school related. In a season where so many people are spewing hatred and cruelty, I am thankful for all of the people in my life who have made a positive impact on me. It is a reminder that people can do good deeds, act with kindness, and put others before themselves.
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