We probably all have them, the moments when life (Or Bing Crosby) reminds us to count our blessings.
Thanksgiving, perhaps, or a particularly hard or happy time, moments of transition, maybe. Life provides plenty of opportunities, but working in adult education -- really, working with adult learners -- offers a particular reminder.
They remind me (perhaps you too?) to be grateful...
... That I can read for information, or for fun.
... That I can write to sift through my thoughts, and to share them with you.
... That I can calculate and understand numbers well enough to make good financial decisions.
... That I mostly felt supported and welcomed in my schooling (and I can talk about that bad teacher, because he was the exception)
... That I have degrees that open doors (and I didn't have to pass a standardized test to earn them)
... That I have work that engages my mind and my talents, and provides a degree of stability.
... That I can access -- and make sense of -- a vast world of information. (I can't forget the neighbor who asked me to look up a relative's cancer diagnosis online for him)
... That I can speak and enjoy this crazy language, and navigate life in English (without asking my kids -- or a stranger -- to translate for me.)
... When I miss home or family, they're a couple hours drive away. (And I wasn't uprooted by a hurricane, or geopolitical instability.)
... That I can take a class or learn a language because I want to, not because I have to. (And I have the tools and skills and support to succeed at that learning.)
...
