The Power of Gratitude

Today I'm feeling grateful. Super grateful.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to sit on Barbara Bray's

virtual porch and share my #gratitude reflections.

Grab some tea and click {here} to join us.

It begs the question: What's YOUR walk-up song? What's your most promising gratitude practice? How about your favorite quote or adage about gratitude? Here's one of mine:

I put it on the last photograph that Mipps took,

to remember the beauty he saw just before he died.

I'm so grateful that he was my little brother for 53 years.

I'm also grateful to have found the Heart Map activity,

to perfectly complement a read-aloud of Birdie & Mipps.

I started with my given name in the middle, then I branched off to share different things about my name. Shortened versions, common nicknames, the stories mom and dad each told about how they chose it in the first place. I also looked up its meaning and shared what it said about my name on a candle someone gifted me years ago. If I had room, I'd totally have shared that I got my middle name from my mom's best friend Sue, whom she chose as my Godmother. It was a fun activity, one that I could totally see posted outside of a classroom in the hallways on a "getting to know you" Wall of Fame display. If only I had a class family to try this with ... ah, the limitations of being retired from the schoolhouse. If you do try it, please send a picture and let me know how it goes.

Anyway, I'm also feeling grateful for this beautiful card from a former student, who also happens to be our first Seed-Money Scholarship recipient. Think it's by chance that there's a bird on the front?

Not a chance!