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Thankful for

 Thankful today

that I am well

that my kids are well

A cup of coffee by myself and snuggled my dogs this morning

when my husband smiles and hugs our son while he stretches on the floor

when our son plays drums

The moment when I said, "oh fuck this" about my son hating math because he already got it and wanted to move on, and we did multiplication instead so he could be challenged by something new

Figuring out how to teach kids with dyslexia to love literature and books

Teaching a gifted boy to play piano and telling him "tough stuff" when he didn't want to do a challenge, the relationship where you can push a kid is gold

Teachers

Teachers who assign their students to take photos of their pets doing homework 

Teachers who do puppet shows on zoom

Teachers who make Tik Toks

Teachers who cry when school goes online

Teachers who love, love, love their kids

Teachers who hug

Teachers who screw up and parents who shut up when they do

Teacher friends

Teacher friends who drink with you at 4:00 and all Thanksgiving weekend 

Teacher friends who want to talk about problem solving and philosophies of education and how to help that one kid you're stuck on

Teacher friends who give you ideas and make you better

Teacher friends who push themselves around the hallways on a chair cart and yell "Wheeee"

Teacher friends who make elaborate costumes and bring everyone together

Teacher friends who tell you it's OK to let something go

Friends who listen when you're sad

Friends who send pictures of their cleavage because it just looked good today

Friends who send weird pictures

Friends who text quotes of awful things that happened with their kids

Friends who write parodies and sing them to you

Friends who go overboard on Halloween and spend a whole day working for 5 minutes of a haunted garage

Neighbors who warn you when there's a bear

Neighbors who don't know your name but do know your dog's

Neighbors who take my kids and me climbing

Neighbors who have ax throwing in their backyard

Neighbors who bring you homemade jelly

Neighbors who buy your kids school fundraiser stuff

Neighbors who loan you tools

Neighbors who pay your kids to mow their lawn

Neighbors who pet-sit when you go out of town

Watching the neighbor who almost died for a year plow the driveway of the neighbor whose daughter did die

Leaving a painted beer on a stranger's doorstep on Easter and knowing he doesn't know who did it

The dog that I see on the drive in to work that bounces and makes me happy in the morning

My pinky healing so I can play piano again

My knee not hurting and the hope that gives me of avoiding another knee surgery

People who give away nice free stuff on Craigslist and the opportunity for a bathroom remodel on the cheap

Unexpected gifts

Movie nights and doritos with my sons

Kids who are readers

Libraries to supply their demands

Audio books and safe travels

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