The day after Thanksgiving always feels a little different. Here in the U.S., the dishes are (mostly) done, the leftovers are stacked in the fridge, and the house finally feels quiet again. The whirlwind of family, food, and celebration has slowed just enough for us to breathe and think.
And if you’re reading from somewhere else in the world, maybe this week didn’t include turkey or pie, but I bet you know that feeling, too: the moment after something busy or meaningful, when everything finally settles and you get to just . . . reflect.
If you’re anything like me, you might find yourself thinking about all the moments that made up the days before—the laughter, the stories, the little joys tucked into the chaos. But also, maybe a few moments that didn’t go quite as planned. The burned rolls. The running late. The small frustrations that crept in next to the gratitude.
That’s the thing about holidays, celebrations, or really any full day of life: They’re rarely picture-perfect, but they’re real. They’re full of noise, laughter, and the beautiful, imperfect chaos that reminds us we’re human.
And honestly, that’s a lot like teaching.
Every day, we walk into classrooms full of energy, movement, and moments that don’t always go according to plan. The pencil sharpener jams, the lesson flops, someone’s crying, and someone else just discovered glue sticks can, in fact, be used as lip balm. But somewhere in that mess, there’s magic. There’s joy. There’s growth.
It’s easy to feel gratitude on the big days—holidays, milestones, celebrations. But the real power of gratitude shows up in the small, everyday stuff: the smiles, the inside jokes, the tiny breakthroughs that keep us going.
So wherever you are, take a deep breath and let yourself rest in that truth. Gratitude doesn’t belong to a season or a country; it’s a way of seeing the world. It’s noticing what’s good, even when life’s a little messy.
Because whether it’s Thanksgiving or just Friday, the best parts of life, and teaching, are still best served imperfectly, with love, a sense of humor, and maybe one more piece of pie.
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