On Being Thankful

Originally posted on Facebook [Notes] on October 10, 2009 

On Being Thankful...

When I look at this world, I see so much that saddens me: war, poverty, sickness and suffering. But, in the same breath, I see so much hope and love. I have so much because there is an abundance of blessings to embrace & receive with thanksgiving every single day. My heart is warmed by a smile, my ears are tingled by a kind comment, a hilarious joke & a brilliant thought. I always get lost in the beauty I find in clouds. I can't take my eyes off of them & am mesmerized by their countless unique formations, especially amidst the glorious sunshine and blue skies!

Being in a career where so much energy, heart, love, & time is invested in young children is not only an extremely challenging job with pressures that can often amount to unthinkable headache & heart pain, but every single day is an adventurous journey that takes me to new heights of discovery & to unknown places where being stretched & challenged comes with the territory. The incredible joy that I experience gives me peace when I feel like erupting after I’ve repeated myself 5-6x! It gives me that moment to catch myself when I’m clearly having a difficult moment. It gives me the grace to seek prayer & relinquish my burdens & cares...joy let’s me enjoy the ordinary moments of the day like conversing with my students about things that matter to them or seeing the expressions of my grade 1 students when I trick them into thinking that I’m fishing for spare teeth in my pocket & telling them that I'm going to glue them into the mouths of those many flashing smiles with missing teeth! Hahahaha!. Similarly, I'm swallowed up in joy when I have that moment to enjoy a leisurely quiet walk home and breathing in the crisp air...

I’m so filled with love because I have so much. I’m so privileged & blessed in life....

Family and friends continually teach me that love has sacrifices and despite the various ups and downs of life, we share with each other our joys & despair, as well as our triumphs and failures. I’m thankful for investing in others and for others investing in me. The act of sharing of ourselves can be incredibly rewarding & to witness a blossoming relationship is a beautiful thing to experience. It’s such a time consuming process but like many things, the journey is where you find the genuine beauty. It can be rosy however sometimes the rocky waves will come & take us through uncharted waters. I’m thankful for the many people in my life who love & care for me. You’ve come into my life at different seasons and have become a part of who I am. I’m grateful for the time, laughs, chats, & tears because they have challenged me, matured me and changed me. I thank God for bringing you all into my life...

When the challenges become unbearable, when life takes a detour & the going gets tough, I need only to remember all that I have and be thankful still....Immeasurable joy can only be expressed with unceasing praise & thankfulness to God.

This thanksgiving weekend, I reflect on ALL that I’ve been blessed with but also how in being filled with thankfulness, I can learn to extend in love to others more in more each day of my life, in my corner of the world.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

-S.