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Inside the box~

At Thanksgiving time, I always think back to my years as a young teacher. It was traditional to have students list all the things they were thankful for. But I was a think-outside-the-box teacher, and I urged them to think beyond what I thought were the obvious things to be thankful for.

Yes, yes, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, I'd think, as I listed their comments on the board. Sure, food and pets. Yes, of course, your house.
 
"But what ELSE?" I'd ask.

They were silent.

For these seven- and eight-year-olds there really was nothing else. What they were thankful for fit neatly into the box.

And I've come to realize this is true for me, as well. My box is full of the obvious blessings. What ELSE could I ask for? What else really matters?

The blessings outside my box--and there are plenty-- are mere frosting on the cake...or should I say, stuffing in the turkey?

Happy Thanksgiving. May your boxes be full. May all your thorns have roses.

---

Giving Thanks For *You* (2007)



Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.
~Alphonse Karr

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monideepa said…
Happy Thanksgiving, and I'm glad you're posting regularly again :-)
November 25, 2011 at 1:48 AM
Ruth L.~ said…
Thanks, Moni. Going to try, anyway... Hope all is well with you.
November 25, 2011 at 9:19 AM
deanna said…
A different way to look at thankfulness, and so true. I'm happy, too, that thorns have roses. :o)
December 1, 2011 at 11:03 AM
Canadapt said…
I think I would like to have had you as a teacher ... Cheers!
December 3, 2011 at 1:51 PM
Ruth L.~ said…
Michael...thank you for saying that. :>) It made me smile.
December 3, 2011 at 2:13 PM
Tere said…
I have been away for a while and I missed reading your posts. They always ground me. Thank you.
December 12, 2011 at 9:45 PM
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