'Thanks"giving 2016

My high school had an annual Thanksgiving assembly prior to us heading off campus in all directions. During the assembly students got the opportunity to express their gratitude in front of the whole school. Every one looked forward to this assembly and to hearing their peers say thank you for everything from their family to sleep to their teachers to 90210 and to good times in senior clubhouse. One of my high school friends has carried on the tradition all these years later by inviting people in her life to share what they are thankful for during the holiday season. She compiles all the entries of people's blessings and sends them back out to us. So 20+ years later here is my annual "thanks"giving post ....

I am so thankful for the love, support, and presence of my family and friends in my life. I greatly appreciate having a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen to me, and people to walk with me through the ups and downs of any given year.

I am thankful for the humbling experience of being a parent. Being a parent has been a wonderful blessing, but not without some challenge. This year has been one I have learned more about how my child learns and lives, while learning more about myself in the process. I am thankful for the moments when I have had to set ego aside in order to do right by my child and for the change in educational environments that I hope will serve my child better in the long run. I am also thankful for my partner in this parenting journey and can't imagine navigating the potholes and parades of life with anyone else.

I am thankful for my annual momcation which gives me the opportunity to recharge, recalibrate, and explore new terrains and experiences. I am also thankful for the Moutons who hosted me this year in Hong Kong and helped me finally cross that destination off my bucket list after almost 30 years.

I am thankful for gift of working with teens on the brink of adulthood. Through my work with students I learn and I grow as an educator and as a person every day. I am thankful that they allow me to be a part of their journeys. I am thankful for the real talk, conversations, challenges, laughs and for the many times I am inspired by them.

I am thankful for books as a means of escape, of information, of exploration and of inspiration. I am also thankful that I get to share my love of books with my son. My favorite time of the day is at bedtime when we each take turns reading to each other.

I am thankful for podcasts that help me pass my time as I walk around the loop (and exercise), but also as a way for me to learn and hear about things and from people who speak to my heart and to my interests.

I am thankful for social media and the way it has allowed me to stay in touch and connected to family, friends, classmates, and former students. I am also thankful for social media as a way to be connected to educators around the world and to expand my PLN.

I am thankful for English Breakfast tea. It starts my day. It soothes me. It helps me pause before speaking. And it reminds me of home.

I am thankful for feel good holiday movies. They may be predictable, but I look forward to the goodness, cheer, and love at the heart of the plot. i am also thankful for the remake of Anne of Green Gables airing tonight and of the release of some new Gilmore Girls episodes on Netflix. Part of the way I practice self-care is by make the time to be still and enjoy the stories portrayed in television and film.

I am thankful for all the people past and present who have cheered me on, stood by me, showed up for me, and influenced me in one way or another. I am who I am because of all the people I have touched my life positively or negatively.

I am thankful for the true emotion that exists within my laughter and my tears.

I am thankful for the moments when I get to sit in stillness with my thoughts and reflect on where I have been, where I am and where I am going. I appreciate that these moments give me an opportunity to just be present and to just make time for me and what I need.

I am thankful for the struggles, challenges, and disappointments of life from which I have grown and learned. It is by making it through these moments that I have found my strength, developed a better sense of self, and figured out more about who I am and want to be.

I am thankful for the times when I have taken risks. It is not easy to put oneself out there or to take a windy path to get to where one is going, but the ripple effect of my decisions and risks have resulted in me being where I am right now, having the family I have, and in me being who I am today. I am blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

A Week Later... (post-birthday/election day post)

I have tried to write this post a couple of times over the past week and each time I return to it, I change its direction. When I first starting writing this post, I focused on my birthday coinciding with (and being overshadowed by) a historic election (yes, my birthday is November 8 and will be a future Jeopardy question). Then it morphed into a post-election/birthday post that centered around the lessons learned from the first election I ever lost which was in fifth grade. Now, I am going in a different direction after having had time to sit with my thoughts a week into my 39th year.

As an educator, a parent, and a person times like this pull you in so many directions. It would be an understatement to say that this Presidential election has elicited a lot of strong feelings across the political spectrum, across the country, and across the world.

As an educator, I need to be able to show up for each of my students, support them, respect their perspectives, listen to them, guide them through a time where people are feeling divided, and give them each a place to feel safe and the space to talk.

As a parent, I have to protect and care for my child. I have to gauge how much awareness he has of the current climate in this country, provide him with answers to his questions, respond to any realities he may face along the way, and instill hope in his heart.

As a person. I worry about my family, my students, my country, and myself. Is this about the election? Yes and no. It is not about being disappointed or elated about the results. It's about the underlying sentiments that seem to be rising up as a result of rhetoric used over the course of the campaign and how people seem emboldened to commit discriminatory and hateful acts towards marginalized groups because they now feel like it's more socially acceptable. We all know that America's history is fraught with a lot of tough and ugly times (we are not alone in this). There has been a lot of progress made and rights fought for, but where we still struggle is with everyone being made to feel that they truly belong. As a person, I worry about those I care about and about whether any of the incidents that I have been hearing and reading about from across the country (including in surrounding towns) will happen to me. I'm a black woman whose father is an immigrant. I know that at any point in time I can face challenges based on this and so I chose not to live my life scared, hiding, or by making myself small. I chose to live my life being proud of who I am and of my history and heritage. However, the bias-motivated threats and incidents seem to be on the uptick since the election and it is personally unsettling. Women being harassed and grabbed. Swastikas being sprayed painted on homes, cars, and buildings. Racial slurs being spewed. People being told to go back to "their country" or that they are going to be deported. People threatening to take away the rights of others. I could go on, but I will stop there. Sometimes it just becomes a lot to carry and just weighs heavily on my heart. I also know that I can't live each day of my life in fear of the unknown or of the possibility of being targeted and victimized. I will believe in the goodness of most people. I will stare down hate and bigotry. I will be kind. I will act. I will hope. I will teach. I will love. I will be compassionate. I will have faith. I will listen. I will stand for what I believe in. I will stand up for others. I will use my voice. And I will rise.