Gratitude

Dear Baby Waider + Little Brother Too,

Be grateful for what you have. Be gracious. Show gratitude. Dad and I are always telling the two of you these statements. Today the temps have been hovering between a -5 and a -8 so it's strange that gratitude is on my mind. It's not like it's Thanksgiving. We've been essentially cooped up for a week straight aside from going to school and being cooped up there with more people and noise. In fact yesterday they canceled school because it was too cold. With the windchill, I believe it was around -45. This morning I ran outside to get something out of a car and it felt...warm? At least in the sun. Dad went outside as he does no matter what and cleared some snow and determined that you guys could go sledding. He got the ice shack sled and we pulled it over to the park. The two of you had a blast. I walked Mavis to the park to meet you. The funny thing about when it snows is that it sort of puts a blanket over the world and makes it quiet and peaceful. Pair that with frigid temps and there are not that many people out. It was too cold for headphones and listening to a podcast because wires just snap in weather like this so I was really left to the quiet and my thoughts. I think that's why I went to gratitude.

Recently while planning for future lessons I see the ones that we completed back when we had no idea that the year was about to abruptly end for face-to-face learning and also the lessons that we attempted to deliver to families remotely. It's sort of been a reminder that last year was traumatic. Your school-year ended with no warning. You left your friends and teachers never to return to that classroom again. You didn't get to see your grandparents and other family members indoors in the typical ways you used to. It's been such a strange year. By year I mean March 13, 2020 to March 13, 2021.  I've spent a good amount of time being salty this year.  I've been salty about school being canceled and not getting to have the last of the school year in with my students, I was salty about no one listening to my concerns about the pandemic all summer, I was salty that we couldn't get a mask mandate anywhere in this town, or in our school district, and most recently I'm salty that I was told I'd have a vaccine by three weeks ago...I'm still not vaccinated. I've been teaching face to face for six-months. Sigh... Salty!

Admittedly I've veered from gratitude, but I'm getting to that. Today as the snow crunched under my boots (one of my top favorite sounds) my heart felt warm. Mostly because I had on appropriate layers, but also because I'm so incredibly grateful for so much. I'm grateful that I still have my health. I'm grateful for my children being in school this year with teachers who love them and have helped them grow socially and academically. I'm grateful that I still have a job I love and coworkers I love just as much. I'm grateful that despite all that's going on in the world we've still made some incredible memories the past year. 

Despite major political upheaval, contentious protests, an election, an insurrection, and a pandemic this past year has had some pretty amazing moments. Today I was reflective and took the time to really enjoy all that went so well. Which I will need to draw from for the next few weeks because Trump was acquitted...Again. I'll refrain from going into that. 

I love you both, 

Mom