I’ve been thinking about gratitude a fair amount over the past couple of weeks as discussions about thwarted Thanksgiving plans are tossed about. This year has certainly taught us many lessons, one of which should be gratitude. And it is especially relevant in this season of giving to reflect on all that we are grateful for in our lives.

I am grateful for my family, friends, and my fur babies. I am also grateful for my colleagues who make me laugh with the unexpected emailed meme or joke. I am grateful because my colleagues challenge me and they also support me, making me a better educator and administrator.

I am also grateful for my students who impress me each and every day with their passion and desire to contribute to the common good, to bring forth change in their respective industries, and who desire to learn more each and every day. I am grateful for their insight and their many different perspectives.

I am grateful for those who have served this country, like my father and my uncle who both served in WWII. They fought to give us the liberties we have today. I am also grateful for those who are currently serving this country, especially to those women and men who are stationed across the globe, away from their families.

I am grateful for the little things that I took for granted before the pandemic, such as a beautiful blue sky, the smell of a fire pit, roasting marshmallows, a song that steals me away in time for a few seconds, a mid-day walk with my dog, and the sound of leaves under my feet.

Yes, there have been many challenges over the past nine months, and I am sure there are more ahead. Another thing 2020 has taught us, is that there is much in our lives we cannot control. I recognize that the challenges have been more difficult on some, specifically people of color, women, single parents, the elderly, and gig workers, to name a few. I am not diminishing the impact this pandemic has had on them or anyone. The loss is profound.

我鼓励你花一点时间来思考你感激的事情，即使是最小的事情也能给你带来平静或微笑——即使是短暂的。今天你感激的事情可能是一年前你认为理所当然的事情。今天你感激的事情很可能会在下个月、下下个月、下下个月继续下去，因为我们的关注点已经转移了。所以，想想你感激的是什么，为什么要珍惜它们，然后培育它们，把它们紧紧地放在你的心里。

祝感恩节快乐平安。

最好的，