Thursday, February 24, 2011

Gratitude Challenge Continues

by Jan Shoop
Due to an amazing number of comments that we received, we’re going to keep the Gratitude Challenge running for another week.
If you haven’t sent in a comment on gratitude, now is the time!
We would like to share some of the wonderful, heartfelt gratitude comments that we received:
I am grateful for my kind, generous, loving family.
I am grateful for all my wonderful friends.
I am grateful for the nourishing, delicious food available for me.
I am grateful for the clean water to drink and bathe in.
I am grateful for my peaceful, serene environment.
I am grateful for the beautiful skies, sunrises, and sunsets.
Dianne Darcy
Just over 1 month ago, I tripped, fell and broke my hand. It would seem to be an opportunity to curse my luck and feel sorry for myself. Instead I'm amazed at the number of things that I found myself grateful for.
- I was immediately grateful that I hadn't gone headfirst into the picnic table that was just a foot away.
- I was grateful for the number of staff and students who rushed to help me up, though I asked them to wait a minute while the pain subsided.
- I was grateful for the genuine compassion from the students, when teachers dread the times that they look might foolish before them.
- I was grateful that I could drive myself to a hospital close to home, where I was in a hospital bed within 30 minutes of arrival.
- I was grateful that my wife and children came to see me immediately and helped keep the nerves down.
- I was grateful that the hand surgeon wasn't upset when I asked if I'd be able to play the piano when my hand healed - he had heard the joke before!
- I was grateful that Jan was on campus at the time that I fell and gave me workman's compensation insurance information, and that I did not need to max out my deductible in the first month of the year.
- I was grateful that x-rays of my chest did not indicate a fracture of a rib.
- I was grateful that it was my left hand that was injured, as I am right-handed.
- I was grateful that I could go to surgery right away rather than having to schedule time in the future.
- I was grateful that I could go home that night after surgery rather than stay in the hospital.
I could go on, but will not. I'm just grateful that it is my nature to look at the glass as half full.

Rand Blunck, StarShine Technical Director