A month of gratitude...

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.” 

-Charles Dickens

awesome and inspiring graphic found at we <3 it.

Back in January, I chose "gratitude" as my word for 2011. I picked the month of March to be my month of gratitude. Little did I know how hard it would be to feel grateful this month. Just days before the month began, Rob and I both got setbacks on the career front. We learned that jobs we were counting on, jobs we even assumed we had are just not to be. Despite this feeling of failure, we must remain grateful for the opportunities that we do have. 

March 1: The team of teachers I’m working with this year. Dianne, Jennifer, Sean, and Lynn have been such an important support system for me this year. I’m blessed and honored to call them my colleagues, teammates, and friends. Yesterday they surprised me with a $50 giftcard, knowing that I needed something to make my day. No matter where I end up next year, I will miss them.

March 2: Listening to books on cd in the car. Driving to and from work is my favorite part of the day. I love to lose myself in the story. And, I don't even have to strain my eyes, and it's read to me. I wonder if there is a career path that I can take that incorporates this.

March 3:  Wonderful childhood memories. When I saw these panda cookies on the $1 aisle at Target, I had to get them. I probably would have paid more than $1 for them, too. Callie and I used to eat similar cookies when we were little. My grandmother would buy them and save them for us. Also, reminds me of my love of Twinkies... because Grandpa Claude would always bring a box for me when he came to visit.

March 4: Spring has sprung! And that means spring break is almost here (4 weeks!) and summer is right around the corner. And, it's just nice to see splotches of color, like this tree near school, as I drive through town. 

March 5: My grandmother. I finally got around to hanging this newly framed painting by my grandmother. She is my inspiration, and I miss her. If I could be just like her when I grow up, I would be good.

March 6: Starting the week with a clean house. Rob's grandpa came to town this weekend, so we speed-cleaned. It's so nice to look around and see clear countertops and clear floors. It makes me hope that this week much less stressful.

March 7: Taking a break from my classroom. I had to opportunity to visit another class at another school on Monday morning. And, an elementary class at that. It was refreshing and rejuvenating.... never mind that I returned to complaining and extra needy students for the afternoon.