My blog post last year on Thanksgiving shared 7 idioms connected to the feast that are used in everyday English. It has been widely shared and read and for that I have you, my readers, to thank.
This year I’ve decided to reflect on the true message of Thanksgiving which is fundamentally about giving thanks for the good things we have in our lives. Being thankful is often overlooked in our over-materialistic world where everyone focuses on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) when people hit the shops for those must- have items at bargain prices.
In a year where the world has experienced and is experiencing terrorist attacks, fear, death, homelessness, displacement and untold violence, it can be extremely hard to find things for which to be thankful. Nevertheless, I feel that this is exactly the right moment to reflect on what we are thankful for.
I would like to set the ball rolling here and share with you ten things for which I am thankful. They are listed in no particular order.
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I am thankful, as a woman, for living in a country where women are respected, valued and have a right to education.
I am thankful for having been given, through a serious illness, the courage to make fundamental changes in my professional life.
I am thankful for belonging to a wonderful and loving immediate family who have loved and supported me unconditionally through the ups and downs of my life.
I am thankful for being of mixed heritage for it has opened a world of infinite beauty and diversity and taught me tolerance.
I am thankful for the second chance I’ve been given and taken to change my profession and working life.
I am thankful for having a husband who has given me the confidence to believe in myself and for making me a better person.
I am thankful for the little things in life – like an espresso with a piece of chocolate; a glass of red wine at the end of a long working day; curling up on my sofa with a good book; snuggling up to my dog, Buster whilst we watch TV; cooking a meal or baking a cake while listening to a Radio 4 drama.
I am thankful to all the wonderful people I have met through teaching for sharing their enthusiasm and encouraging me to never stop growing professionally.
I am thankful for living in a country where human rights and the rule of law are still respected and protected.
I am thankful for having found a voice and passion for writing through this blog and for you, my readers, for reading.
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What are you thankful for?
To all my readers based in the US or who celebrate it, I wish you a peaceful and joyful Thanksgiving.
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Ciao for now
Shanthi
