“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not,
but rejoices for those which he has.”
– Epictetus

As a kid, Thanksgiving was not one of my favourite holidays. I did not dislike it, but it was not a holiday that I looked forward to. I’m not sure why I was not a big fan of Thanksgiving, maybe it was because I found the food to be too beige. The best part of Thanksgiving in my childhood mind was that it signalled the coming of ski season and the winter holiday.

Through the years, however, Thanksgiving has become one of my favourite holidays. It reminds me of how fortunate I am, and how much I am grateful for. Though the change to appreciating Thanksgiving happened slowly through the years, it took a major leap when Tricia and I first hosted a Thanksgiving dinner with our kids, other family, and friends. It’s easy to be thankful when you look around your house and see a bunch of loved ones who have come together to enjoy each others’ company and beige food.

The other day, I stopped into a first grade classroom as they were discussing gratitude. Some of the students shared what they were grateful for: family, friends, a place to be together, being happy. Sometimes students say the silliest things; other times (in the first grade classroom for example) they say profoundly simple truths. They can remind me of a funny Disney character and a Stoic in the same brief conversation.

My gratitude list is long: I’m grateful to have so much to be grateful for. As I sit here in my office plunking away on this keyboard, I look outside and see the colours of fall and Mt. Vitosha hidden in clouds. I also see AAS students, families, and staff strolling onto campus, bundled in puffy jackets with hands stuffed in their pockets. And, it is easy to be grateful for being here.

Whatever you do over the Thanksgiving weekend, I hope you get lost in gratitude, at least for a bit.

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart,
it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude”
-A.A. Milne