It is Canadian Thanksgiving today. Instead of Thanksgiving being a once a year day with underlying commercial interests, it raised questions about being full of thanks for each ensuing moment. What if I were grateful and thankful each day-each moment? This is impossible. What I need to do is hold the thought at the forefront and perhaps it elevates the thankfulness I experience.
We began with a dinner last night with our oldest son and his partner. He headed out to an out-of-town job today. Tonight, we celebrate with our youngest. He worked last night, so was unavailable.
Gratitude and thankfulness–
Turning to beloved;
Embracing one another;
Celebrating what held sacred.
In each moment–
Experiencing the extraordinary;
Revealing itself in the ordinary;
Sensing it is there.
Harvesting bounties–
Sharing common weal;
Valuing de-monetized wealth;
Feeling blessed.
I took this of Kathy standing on a rock above Rearguard Falls on the Fraser River in Mount Robson Provincial Park. I am thankful for the time we spend together and Nature.
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
My ‘most grateful’ for thing about my family is, we love the ‘traditions’ of holidays, but we all rather look at the landscape of work, duty, etc., and find a way to celebrate together, whether it’s the ‘actual day’ or not – and some years, we skip the ‘in person’ get together, or travel when we planned on hosting, given physical health or work needs – in the end, part of being ‘grateful’ and celebrating, to me, and echoed in your post here, is, “Anytime we get together, is a celebration in gratitude that we each make a priority, but are flexible enough to SHOW we consider it a priority!” – – ❤
Enjoyed your Thanksgiving poem. Even with the world situation, we still are blessed with so much and if we look carefully can find some little thing each day to be thankful for…an email from a friend, a phone call, a car to take me places.
Happy Thanksgiving Ivan and Kathy,
Such a blessing to spend time with our adult children! The photo you chose for this occasion is reflective of the natural beauty that you and I are blessed to be surrounded with every day. It is easy to be grateful in such an environment. And still I forget, take it for granted. However, more and more these days I am able to maintain my presence, as I walk on our land and let the soft voice of Nature whisper to me. Blessings, Alia
Lovely picture and thoughts.
This year I have been trying to write three things I’m grateful for every morning as I plan my day. It helps me be a little more present. And recognize that every day is a gift.
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ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
Happy Thanksgiving.
Thank you Ms Dedeng
My pleasure.
Happy Thanksgiving. It’s easy to be thankful every day when you pay attention to family.
I agree Dan. Focusing on what is most immediate makes being thankful easier
My ‘most grateful’ for thing about my family is, we love the ‘traditions’ of holidays, but we all rather look at the landscape of work, duty, etc., and find a way to celebrate together, whether it’s the ‘actual day’ or not – and some years, we skip the ‘in person’ get together, or travel when we planned on hosting, given physical health or work needs – in the end, part of being ‘grateful’ and celebrating, to me, and echoed in your post here, is, “Anytime we get together, is a celebration in gratitude that we each make a priority, but are flexible enough to SHOW we consider it a priority!” – – ❤
Thank you for a wonderful reflective comment TamarhJo
Enjoyed your Thanksgiving poem. Even with the world situation, we still are blessed with so much and if we look carefully can find some little thing each day to be thankful for…an email from a friend, a phone call, a car to take me places.
Thank you Bev. Yes, it is the unexpected that can bring thankfulness to life.
A most bountiful Thanksgiving to you and yours Ivon, C
Thank you Cheryl. Take care and enjoy
Happy thanksgiving to you and yours! (*＾▽＾)／
Thank you
（*’∀’人）
Valuing de-monetized wealth, indeed! Enjoy.
Thank you Bela.
Happy Thanksgiving Ivan and Kathy,
Such a blessing to spend time with our adult children! The photo you chose for this occasion is reflective of the natural beauty that you and I are blessed to be surrounded with every day. It is easy to be grateful in such an environment. And still I forget, take it for granted. However, more and more these days I am able to maintain my presence, as I walk on our land and let the soft voice of Nature whisper to me. Blessings, Alia
Thank you Alia. Take care and be well. Nature provides wonderful spaces to be thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you
My pleasure. Enjoy!
Lovely picture and thoughts.
This year I have been trying to write three things I’m grateful for every morning as I plan my day. It helps me be a little more present. And recognize that every day is a gift.
Happy Thanks giving! Here in USA, it is November 26th.
Thank you. We celebrate both, as I spent a lot of time in the US and our daughter-in-law is from the US.