6 Things I am Grateful for This Week

GraphicMama-team via Pixabay

'Tis the season for gratitude so, after much deliberation, I've decided that the perfect topic for today's post would be just that. (It also fits in with my current class discussions, so I've had the opportunity to give it some thought).

I'm smart enough to know that I have a pretty good life but this week, in particular, I have a lot to be thankful for.

• My daughter is home. Because her school doesn't have a fall break, she has an entire week off for Thanksgiving. Eight nights of knowing she's asleep across the hall instead of five hours away is a lot of restful Mom nights.

• I can spend quiet time with family. Okay, so I'll have a substantial pile of papers to grade during my time off, but no one says they have to be finished the day I return. Without day-to-day deadlines, it's a lot easier to take time to do fun things like...

• I get to see my sister and her new house. My sister and brother-in-law just recently moved and, since they're kind enough to be hosting Thanksgiving, I'll get to not only see my sister and her family but also her new digs.

• I get to go to New Jersey. Did I mention that the new house is in New Jersey? Now that my dad is in Pennsylvania, I no longer have any Jersey ties...or I didn't until my sister bought a house there.

• I get to sleep in. For night owls, this is one of the greatest benefits of time off.

• I get to fill my days with things I want to do instead of things I have to do. I'm pretty fortunate in that there's tremendous overlap for me between these two things even when I am working, but since one of my favorite things is a blank calendar page, I'm excited to fill those pages...or not.

As we inch closer to Thanksgiving, what are you grateful for?