2017.11.24
A Time to Reflect and Give Thanks
Grateful...
“Outtakes”. A snippet of thoughts to kick off this blog post:
We all have much to be grateful and/or thankful for. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year. I am thankful for my health, family, friends, my job, and the simple things in life.
What I am looking forward to putting into practice, or continuing:
Keeping everything in perspective and appreciating all that I have to be grateful.
Quote(s) that resonated with me this week:
Give thanks. Be grateful.
A healthy person has a thousand wishes, but a sick person has only one. ~ Indian Proverb
The best things in life are free.
Being that we are out of school for a few days, this is a personal look at Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays. Actually, it is my favorite time of year. The timing is great. Being in education for almost two decades, I have always enjoyed the fresh start of a new school year. The excitement of the returning students, the exuberance of the faculty and staff and the buzz of the extra-curricular activities are exciting. As the year “settles in”, this first break is an opportunity for me to recharge my batteries, reflect on what matters in life, and really focus on how lucky we are for everything we have (which is different for everyone).
First and foremost, I am grateful to be healthy. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously stated, “the first wealth is health”. Coupled with the Indian proverb listed above, I try to keep this in perspective and not take for granted that I have a home to get a good night sleep, the means to have three healthy meals (and snacks) a day, and the resources to balance work and activity to “be well”. Sometimes, I need to remind myself to KISS: keep it simple, or, keep it slow and steady. A little bit goes a long way. A few sets of push-ups, air squats, and pull-ups throughout the day, a nice steady jog or hike, or just getting out and getting some extra steps. None of this requires a gym membership, equipment, or anything but a commitment to “do a little something”, every day.
Next, I am thankful for my family. I am blessed to have a supportive wife who is a great mother to our three kiddos. Life is not easy, but we stick together as a team and make it work as best we can. Ellie, Brooke, and Nicholas bring joy (and sometimes challenges) to our lives each day. As I sit here and type, I am watching them help Grandma and Grandpa in the kitchen and play with their cousins around the house. Times like this allow me to sit back and marvel at the independent little people they have become. I am grateful to be out at my parent's house in rural Pennsylvania with immediate and extended family, creating memories for hopefully the rest of their/our lives. I am also grateful for the rest of extended family that we are not together with today, but see throughout the rest of the year.
I am grateful to work in a school and district that unequivocally values education, and not just the academic part of education. The arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities are all held in high regard, rightfully so. They make up a well-rounded education and play a role in educating the whole child. The focus and emphasis on social-emotional learning (SEL) and a positive school climate are a priority at all levels. It is reassuring to see this as a consistent focal point throughout the year. I am also grateful for the great people that I work with, they are some of the most caring, dedicated professionals around. To learn more about NCPS and NCHS, you can check out my “Stakeholder Blog Series” and “Orange Frog Workshop” posts, respectively.
Relative to work, I am also thankful for the global professional learning network (PLN) that I have the good fortune of interacting with on a consistent basis. They continue to share best practices, latest trends and research, and provide critical feedback. This helps build confidence and motivation to continuously improve. Ultimately, the goal is to make improvements that will best serve our respective students.
Finally, I am grateful for the things in life that are free. Taking the time to smell the roses, so to speak. These include jogs in Waveny, catching a sunrise, checking out a sunset, looking up at the stars on a clear night, hanging out and chatting with friends, and finally, spending time with family. For anyone who may be mentioned in some capacity in this post, I am thankful for you!
Please feel free to contact or follow me:
Email: david.gusitsch@ncps-k12.org
Here a few pictures from this past week:
A sunset jog at Waveny (11/20)
A sunrise from the porch at my parent’s house (11/23 - Mansfield, PA)
A sunset from the porch and a walk with my parents (11/23)
The family (11/24)
Extended family (11/24)
Playing a little football in the front yard (11/24)
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