I am thankful for

During class on Thanksgiving, I couldn't help but introduce the class by asking students to tell me what they were thankful or grateful for.  I was already full of Thanksgiving cheer, but I couldn't help but grin to the fullest when a 17-year-old composition student hesitatingly uttered "I am thankful for my daddy?" in a cherubic, uncertain voice.  I am thankful for moments like this as well as many other things.  Here's a partial list:

Thank you, thank you, Lord for

·      lunch at Slunečnice (vegetarian restaurant)

·      lessons with four students in which you can have real conversations

·      Anežka sharing her orange with me

·      lovely colleagues

·      advent wreaths

·      European Christmas markets

·      electric tea kettles

·      colleagues that help me with Czech

·      over-obliging Czechs which praise my novice Czech and never humiliate me

·      the postal service

·      Your church

·      brothers and sisters all over the world

·      cleaning ladies that mop my room at 7:30 AM every Tuesday morning

·      reusable shopping bags

·      free Czech lessons

·      eggs so fresh they have feathers on their shells

·      hand-written correspondences

·      Christmas carols in Czech and English

·      wonderful sisters

·      being able to see Czechs that I’ve met in years past