For the next couple weeks I will be posting the Gratitude Journal prompts that are being given to my students and my response post.

I’ve been thinking about these prompts in terms of how they must be different for a middle school student versus a sixty-something educator. With this one I feel like the middle school me might have thought about family first as people I could count on and how that would change as I grew toward adulthood and became more connected to others. I have been most fortunate to have had many persons over the course of my life whom I’ve felt very close to. There have been friends, coworkers, lovers and family who have challenged me, supported me, drove me more than a little crazy and even cried with me when I was at my mind’s end. I think fortunately (for that “one” person) there has not been one person whom I’ve depended on or have had to turn to in time of need, but I’ve been lucky enough to have spread out the “opportunity” of sharing my life’s journeys and challenges. Each in their season has been there for me and I thank you.

I do have to say, at one particular difficult time in my life my sisters really kept me emotionally afloat. While growing up I was fearful of their judgment, but it turned out that when I needed it, they accepted me with all of my foibles and a couple times showed their support with evenings of numerous adult beverages and a “few” Long Island Ice Teas. Now that’s support, if you ask me. For the most part, I have been very fortunate in the family and friends part of my life.