by Erika Cormier

Created on: March 17, 2009

One of the most important responsibilities in my life is my job as a post-secondary technical school teacher. In the school where I work, every year for the last 7 years, the day of thanksgiving, I stand by the door and hand out or leave around the school taped to doors and counters, what I call "Much to be Thankful For." As many of my fellow team members know, It is a list of statistics I look up every year and compile to enlighten all of our future professionals, staff and their family members to bring home, read, and realize that they have a lot to be thankful for during this holiday season. This year, while researching and changing the statistics numbers, I was saddened to notice how much higher the number of unfortunate people has gone up.

The reason I do this is because I want people to come back down. Come back down to a realistic level and realize what they have. When I hear people complain about not having money to shop for new clothes, not being able to buy a new car, and other material things, I always think back to my thanksgiving letter. I think that if people stepped back and took notice of what they have been fortunate to have in their life, they might smile more. They might not take things for granted, maybe they would love more, enjoy every day they have, turn a negative into a positive and have the ability to say thank you.

Of course everyone has hardships from time to time, but most of us have the tools we need to get over them. Whether we choose to use them or not. But what we consider a hardship may actually be something we should be thankful for. For example, I have hard days at work and I complain about them from time to time, but on the other hand, I am grateful I have a wonderful job, have a paycheck, have a team that I can trust, and that are there for me. So what really am I complaining about? To emphasize the importance of what I have learned to help my being thankful for all that I have, I read aloud during an assembly, excerpts this year from the book "Tuesdays With Morrie" by Mitch Albom. After reading the excerpts, I looked up to find many students crying. They "got it". The book truly summarizes people finding the pieces in their life that actually matter. The pieces that make you who you are and that impact those around you in a positive way. After completing the assembly, I had students hugging me and thanking me with tears that were a result of their "a-ha" moments. And seeing them walk away from school that day was another "a-ha" moment for me. One that I am thankful for every day.

Learn more about this author, Erika Cormier.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.