give thanks, day 5

5 things.

i am thankful for the start of a new week.  it's an opportunity to start fresh, start again, start over (and i seem to always need to start over).

i am thankful for poetry. my students might think it's the worst thing on earth, but i love it.

i am thankful for the word of wisdom.  as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, i grew up with the standards and beliefs to not drink alcohol, smoke tobacco or experiment with any types of drugs.  i see the pressures and struggles that the youth of the world face today, particularly as it relates to alcohol and substance abuse, and my heart breaks for them.  i am so grateful that i was raised in a home and an environment that taught me from a very young age that those activities are not only contrary to what the gospel teaches, but they are not worth the consequences (both physical and spiritual) that always come as a direct result.

i am thankful for decompression time.  because there is always more to do for school (more grading, more planning, more organizing, more prepraring), i sometimes feel bad for taking a minute to sit and do nothing.  but when i got home tonight, i curled up in the big comfy la-z-boy with my can of cashews and caught up on castle.  it was a wonderful hour of mindless entertainment.

i am thankful for monday night football. same as yesterday, great background noise while i grade and plan. and i enjoy the company, too.