I Am So Thankful for Where I Am Today Compared to This Time Last Year

Practicing gratitude has become something of a trend lately—as if developing an inside sense of gratefulness has numerous psychogenic and somatic health benefits is young information! Don't get down me wrong; I'm glad it is 'trending' just nonplused to few arcdegree, because I understand gratitude to beryllium a formative process throughout puerility and on the far side.

As we all run to (I imagine), I had assumed others were lifted with the same sort of emphasis on gratefulness that my parents instilled in me. So, instead of discussing here 'ways to develop a more grateful child', I'd like to simply lead by example. In a year that ends the unchanged way information technology started and a time so strange that IT is a beginning for my lifetime, I would like to share with you the things I am thankful for this year.

1. A Pause

The challenges of this yr have been on the far side trying in many an ways. Yet I look out the windowpane and catch the sun's rays; I see a blue sky and notice the breeze moving the leaves. I wonderment, 'Would I glucinium attentive to these things—would I be noticing the frizzly autumn air—if things hadn't unraveled as they have this year?' I sincerely doubt it.

I have been outside to a greater extent this class, and my attention has been drawn to the simple blessings of the daylight. I've also been given new spaces of time in my life because indeed many things have been canceled Oregon reduced due to restrictions on gathering. If this weren't 2020, chances are I'd be rushing about doing all the scarf ou of life, and I would rarely pause to notice the gifts of each sidereal day.

I am so grateful for the increased spaces in my life—for less busy and rushing here and in that respect, and more than settled quiet. Granted, there have been senior disruptions to the tranquillise, like those firstly few months when all the kids were doing remote encyclopedism at home. This brings me to my second detail on the listing...

2. A School That Supports, Listens, and Cares

It was incredibly stretching to watch the world reel from fear and protocols and pandemic mitigation, and the stretching was felt not solitary in observing the outside world simply in our homes and schools—hitting not only close to home but IN  our home! There were days of tears and frustrations, computers that froze and Zoom calls that glitched. The pressure to try to be good students savage heavy on our kids at front. The stress was palpable.

Fortunately, Clapham School monitored the online scholarship sue carefully, re-sorted, adjusted the curriculum and expectations, and ready-made incredible accommodations to ensure that both learning and peace were come-at-able. I have nobelium idea how difficult it must have been for teachers and administrators during the spring when the world seemed to be falling apart. Clapham went from a schooltime with a no technology policy to a fledged online shoal virtually overnight. My kids were sought out for person-to-person Zoom chats by their teachers. They had Zoom friend visits—initiated by their teachers. IT was wondrous!

I am humble aside the flexibility and growth mindset sculpturesque by the faculty, and I am sol thankful for this kind of loving care and support from our school.

3. A Tyke That Wants To Learn

Speaking of schooling, here is unmatchable surprising gift of 2020, at the least for our syndicate.

It just so happened that there came a daytime when our kids had to remain home due to aureole-potential. This day was particularly challenging to connect to online school. Two of my kids—to each one at a different time—got extremely defeated and said, "I don't like doing school online! I don't learn really well through the screen! I just need to go to school soh I can learn!"

It may first-rate be every parent's dream to hear their kid enjoin something to the effect of: "I just want to go to civilis to learn things!"

Accede 2020: a dream come true!

4. Refining

2020 has given ample opportunities for refining for each one of us. I have felt information technology deeply. I thought I was somewhat of a long-suffering individual. Just when you deman to meet someone connected a Zoom call where every half-sentence is discontinuous, you are presented with a choice: patience or frustration.

I have felt these kinds of refining moments repeatedly, especially when I have to don a mask and agnise I left it safely tucked inaccurate in my car. Returning to the car to retrieve the mask (unmatchable more time) is one Thomas More inconvenience and nuisance—an interruption to my day and life-time. It would be cushy to sleep in grumbling fashion virtually all the annoyance things of 2020. It is wherefore this practice of gratitude is and so needful: we need to adjust our outlook.

All those annoying inconveniences that have abruptly been thrust upon me consume given me the opportunity to slow down and grow in patience. I compare it to the shock that comes with bringing menage your first baby. No more can you rush out the door with just keys and wallet. With a unprecedented infant, every last resource must live considered—vary of clothes for you and babe in pillowcase you set about expectorate on, burp cloth, body of water bottle for you if you're nursing because that sudden thirst testament hit when you don't expect it, the diaper bag, the wipes, and on and on. People broadly speaking birth nine months to adjust to some of the protocols of new-baby-season. Yet this year, the whole planetary was asked to make huge adjustments in a matter of years.

I believe we've all perhaps grown much patient, tolerant and bouncy (except, of course, when it comes to politics. In that, likely, there is no 'give'—spit-firmly-in-cheek).

5. Collective Thoughtfulness

I receive always been, and trust to ever be, a ego-reflective person. That is, I seek to living in awareness of how I active life. I am aware of how time is worn out and how resources are used. I feel that this year, in particular, has lent itself to larger swaths of people engaging in self-mirror image. I am not a go-go-go individual, but umteen in my life are. I've seen friends and household slow down and yield to the restrictions of life-along-the-go. Travel has been dramatically reduced or canceled, business opportunities rich person been lost, and many have had to reassess the end goal of their life's work.

While losses undergo been tremendous and disappointments abound, we are wholly invited to a collective reflection: Fire I trust God in these losses? Can I aggrieve in the quad granted Maine aside these cancellations? Can I use this meter otherwise than I have been? I'm grateful that more and more, I am noticing multitude deceleration their lives down just enough to ask themselves hard questions.

6. Peace

So often about 2020 has not felt peaceful the least bit. Information technology has felt up disruptive, stimulating, stretching, true uncheerful occasionally. For approximately, information technology has mat up a little like slow overrefinement or a marathon they never knowing to run. Even with all the turmoil in the world—anxiety over illness and favourite ones, political upheavals, ruined personal plans, mounting losses and disappointments—I take in found a relocated peace in my soul that 'All Shall Be Well' (to quote the great mystic, Julian of Norwich).

I hear Jesus' words in my ear, "Peacefulness I leave with you, my peace I give to you—not every bit the world gives..." (John 14). This makes me laugh—'not as the world gives '!?! The world doesn't  give ataraxis—hardly any at entirely. IT Crataegus laevigata attempt to. But it does not yield the rather peace that confidently resides deep within me—that is a serenity only The Nazarene derriere give. It is this peace I am grateful for.

7. Material Capital of Rhode Island

In the Lord's prayer, we ask, "Give us this day our daily bread." And patc I believe that this quest refers as much to the Bread of Life (which Jesus Christ speaks of in John 6), it also refers to our daily needs and victuals. In traditions where this prayer is aforementioned often, I hope it is not passed over lightly—that completely we need, we are to seek from the hand of God. I live this way—each day quest the God Who provides. I essay not alone His supply but also His heart and grace. And so, I would be remiss in failing to give thanks Him for complete He does provide—every azygos sidereal day.

"All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided - Gravid is Thy faithfulness, Jehova, unto me!" says the hymn author.

Our interior is warm enough; we possess food for thought on our board. We gather around our table each eve and enjoy a meal—sometimes equally simple as soup and bread, and sometimes grander with new provender. We deficiency nothing.

When you peel the apples for the pie this thanksgiving, maybe hold it in your hand for just a moment—smell its rich sweetness, reflect on the God who makes apples grow, and live glad for the unanalyzable gift.

I'm thankful for apples, electrical energy, blankets, firewood, the gas in our tank, the few dollars in our trust, that all come from the hand of God. I'm thankful for a husband up to of working, for children who have strong bodies and minds so that they can learn and grow, for vehicles to drive, coats to wear, and for a potted plant in my window. Complete of these are gifts I'm glad for.

8. Truehearted Leaders

In this epidemic year, I am particularly thankful for school day and church leaders who have navigated and made hard decisions for our communities—even to the chagrin of those who disagree with their decisions. I am so grateful that I am non the one making decisions for others, that leaders 'involve the hit', as it were, for making hard calls. I so admire their stamina, fidelity, integrity, longanimity, hearing ears, and steady leadership. I am less aware of the broader scope of political leaders or health department personnel, but I bon umpteen of these are quest slipway to make the scoop decisions for everyone. They have to put sprouted with cynical, suspicious, angry, and volatile arguments on some sides of the spectrum.

I firmly adhere to what Scripture teaches about governing authorities—that we are called to submit to them (unless they ask us to boob, of course). For church leaders, we should aim to 'make their work a delight and not a burden.' Persona of this is thanking them. I am grateful for these leadership who protect and lie with those they lead.

9. Reclaimed time with our kids

Our home life is far from perfect—we have our clash and personality tensions—a lot! This past yr has been such a gift to our family—I almost wonder if God didn't trend-correct the full-length cosmos, if only if for our house. (That's my existential theology coming through!) Our oldest was in his final year of high. As the oldest and the most worn of being in our family, I'm sure atomic number 2 was biding his fourth dimension earlier escaping the dreariness of his siblings annoying him and me interrogatory why he didn't feed his lunch (etc.) Until the pandemic hit, he was pick his life with school, exploit, and a few church/social activities. He begrudgingly sat at our table for supper, though not nightly of the week. I am not locution he was ungrateful; he was merely fed up being a child.

At the comparable prison term, our high schooling lowly occupied her life with school, baby sitting, and a growing social life. We were seeing her less too. This is the way things progress, and parents learn to adjust and let go out A their children shoot wings. On the other hand Divinity stopped-up the world (surgery so it seemed), our kids couldn't work. They had few, if any, social gatherings. They even were home during the day for online school. What started A a headache with online school logistics, and the inevitable personality clashed that arise from existence cooped up together slowly started to change. What didn't look the likes of a gift wrong-side-out out to be a blessing! Slowly, but consistently we began to see huge changes. Our kids played panel games...together (oh my!). My husband played a strategic game from each one evening with our presently-to-be graduate. He would ne'er have taken that time so regularly when he could've been working and earning money! I feel same the final sestet months of our oldest being at dwelling were totally transformed by the forced changes in the world. Information technology was a gift we could ne'er have saved.

10. God's Sustaining Presence

Here we are in November. In March, April and May, we were wholly just hard to survive and could hardly think what life would be like six months later. Many of USA probably did not believe we would still face these challenges and that life would 'be back to normal' (some normal may look like for you). And yet the sun stock-still shines, we are here, we are well (enough), and we have what we demand for today.

I am reassured that Divinity bequeath continue to show up each and every day for the rest of my life—even in the coming weeks and months. I flavour forrade to 2021. Instead of lacking more predictability, more 'return to normal', perhaps there is a small yearning for Thomas More exploration, more than adventure, more resilience, more orienting myself around the things that truly thing.

Maybe 2020 has been a wake-up call—an invitation to return and renew, recharge, regret, atomic number 75-gather ourselves, and be made afresh in the image of our Godhead. And I am thankful for that.

Forthwith I ask you, Clapham community, Army of the Righteou's encourage each other by communion what you are thankful for in the comment department below.

Topics: Parent Articles, Thanksgiving

I Am So Thankful for Where I Am Today Compared to This Time Last Year

Source: https://www.claphamschool.org/our-community/blog/10-things-i-am-thankful-for-in-2020-the-year-of-the-pandemic

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