Psychological studies have shown that showing gratitude releases the feel good chemicals in your brain like dopamine. So lucky for me I live in a country that creates a day to show gratitude… and over eat and watch a ton of football. Did I mention the country I was talking about was America?
Anyhow… it’s time for me to release some of those feel good chemicals!
I definitely have to start with giving thanks for my wife. I am not an easy person to live with. I spend most of my time fluctuating between being too hyper and too exhausted. I spend way too much time planning for my classroom, playing video games and watching Star Wars content. And yet, somehow she still loves me. Now that is a miracle if I ever saw one. She also gave me my kids, which are the best gifts I could ever receive.
So that brings me to my kids Timmy and MJ. I love those kids more than I ever thought I could love anything. There is nothing I wouldn't do to make sure they are happy. And I don’t mean “buy me a new car for my 16th birthday“ happy. I mean truly happy. I mean I’d do anything to set them up to live a fulfilling life. And sometimes that means saying “no” to things. What I am most grateful for is that my kids can accept the answer “no”. They understand the value of hard work. They give their best. They are also smart, creative, kind, unselfish, and flat out cool. I am thankful that I enjoy hanging out with my kids. My son and I bond over movies while my daughter has introduced me to some of the funniest content I’ve ever seen. We bond over comedy and I love it!
I‘m also very thankful for my students. I think I learn more from them than they do from me. Many of my students have already faced and defeated more challenges in their 15 years than I have in my whole life. They are tenacious. They don’t give up. They work hard every day for things that come easy to so many. And they have such good hearts.
Finally, I am super thankful that Old Fashioneds have become wildly popular and I can get a good one almost everywhere.
Now it’s your turn. What are you thankful for?