thanksgiving

happy thanksgiving

I am sitting here typing, just about ready to go to work. Today is not a day off for me, nor tomorrow. Actually, I will be working late today as I have done all week long. There is no rest for the weary this week. Thanksgiving is a holiday originating in North America and pilgrims and indians and corn and turkey got lost in translation somewhere above the North Atlantic. However, the concept of thanksgiving is one that is rooted in creation and has meaning for all of us, on every continent.

Interestingly, here in the Czech republic, the word "thankful" brings up loads of discussion and semi-heated arguments about how best to translate or describe being thankful. It is not often used as a descriptive word and people here don't live in a state of gratitude. The prevailing sentiment here is that life is bleak so best get on with it.

 Americans here (namely, us) are forever thanking people. It is our way. Thank them before, during and after the nice dinner, or the haircut, or the opening of a gift. Czechs thank once, after the fact. I don't think either way is right or wrong, but I wonder if the little bit of gratitude education we receive each November helps us at the core of who we are to remember that we should be thankful for what we have and for what we are about to receive.

This week I have been teaching my little kindergarteners about thankfulness. We have been reading stories about the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, as well as books about gratitude. We have been making lists and drawing pictures about what we are thankful for. We have been learning to say "I am thankful for..." in English, Czech, Danish and German so everyone could go home and tell their mums and dads how thankful they are in their native language. Today we are making a cornucopia, horn of plenty. Although ubiquitous this time of year in the States, I think this will be a first in our small town. Here is what I will be putting in the cornucopia today to mark my gratitude...

My faith
My husband and daughters
Townshend International School
My students
Friends and family, near and far
Chocolate (my students think it is so funny how much I love chocolate)

Enjoy your day today...be thankful.