What I'm Grateful For

I woke up today at 5:00 and thought I'd keep a mental list of the greatest parts of my day.  Now it's 10:15 on Friday night.  I'm looking at the sleeping form of my wife on the couch.  She fell asleep watching the news.  As I end this day, I think of Heidi, the greatest blessing in my life.  We met in a college class in the winter of 1976.  I have been deeply in love with her ever since.  I remember the very day I fell in love (I cannot speak for her).  I remember it clearly.  

Back to today's blessings...




*Waking up.    At all.    Just waking up.
*Waking up to the beautiful sleepy face of my wife, Heidi.
*It being Friday.

*Hawaiian coffee.  Light roast, very strong. 

*This new book I'm reading - Same Kind of Different As You.

*The warm sleepy goodbye hug and kiss from same Heidi.

*John Fogerty's new album on the way to work.

*NPR, perhaps the only "fair and balanced" news on the radio.

*This subtle, graceful, pale blue/gray sunrise.  Overcast.  Breezy.  Early fall.

*Time alone in my classroom.  

*The anticipation of a great Friday with my second graders.

*The sounds of children through my door.  Hearing their excitement at being at school.  

*The first hugs, fist bumps, high fives and handshakes of my earnest children as they come into the classroom at the very beginning of the day.

*Playing chess with a seven year old.

*Helping kids understand some challenging math.

*Talking about the news with little ones.

*Learning about animals, addition with regrouping and place value, sharing a favorite book with second graders (The Prince of the Pond by Donna Jo Napoli).

*Discussing writer's craft with young writers.  Finding craft in their writing.

*Talking about the election with an earnest group of learners.  Watching history unfold with young children.

*Lunch with my students.  Making each other laugh.  Sharing story.

*Recess on our dusty field.

*The tears of a little one who has fallen.  

*Playing the best playground game ever.  

*Laughing, running and sweating with my new group of best friends.

*Walking to the public library.  Looking for animals all the way there.

*Helping children check out good books.

*Walking back to school.  Looking for bugs the whole way.  Finding lots.  Gold.

*Singing songs with children.

*My fingers which, however feeble, allow me to play guitar.

*My voice which, however creaky,  allows me to teach these young ones to sing.

*The sense to stop singing when they have learned the song. 

*Listening to my best teacher friend, Tameka, read one of my favorite books (More Than *Anything Else) to my old class and my new class.  45 of the best people I have ever known in one room.  Gold.

*The quiet school building after the kids and teachers have gone home.

*Driving home.  

*Friday.

*Music.  

*The moon, rising through the hazy early evening sky.

*The early fall colors just now being revealed.  The anticipation of another beautiful fall.

*Pulling in to my neighborhood.

*That first evening kiss as I see Heidi.

*My dog's smile as she wags her entire body in greeting.

*Our Friday evening together.

*Sharing our respective days.  

*Remembering our own children when they were small.

*Looking into the beautiful sleeping face of my true love as she snoozes on the couch.

*Knowing that tomorrow is Saturday.

*The anticipation of my sleepy boys waking up tomorrow (I'll probably be asleep before they get home).

*My home.

The thing is, this is just the tip of the iceberg.  The tip of the tip.  Even as I sat writing this, 

I knew that in a single day I have so many blessings that I couldn't name them all.  We all do.  Make a list some day.  It feels good.