What are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving is upon us!

I seek out each preschooler individually, and
pose the simple question
"What are you thankful for?" -

I am thankful for the food,
bread,
rice
chicken on the bone, and pasta, and cooking on these days.
I’m thankful for my pound cake.
The last day it was my birthday and I said “thanks.”

I am thankful
I’m going home to see my Mommy and Daddy, and I am really thankful for going to see my cat.
I am thankful for my Mommy,
my Daddy,
Nicky.
I am thankful I am going to play baseball with my Mommy and my Grandpa and my Daddy,

I am thankful for trucks,
an airplane toy,
shaving cream,
Thomas and Diesel, and let me tell you something else – a shark eating Thomas!
I am thankful for giving me my Snoopy, when I wanted my Snoopy in the bed last night.
I am thankful for shots.
I am thankful for Easter and eggs, and I am excited for all these things.

I am thankful for pandas,
painting,
flowers and trees.
I am thankful when someone gives me a present.

I see the children wrestling with the concept of "thankful,"
with their responses slow and thoughtful.
Thankful is new and unfamiliar.
Is this question about birthdays, when we say thanks for gifts?
Does thankful mean food? What is our favorite Thanksgiving food?
Perhaps being thankful is about the sheer delight of certain things?
Is thankful the same as who do you love?
Perhaps thankful is all this and more.


I am thankful for children who remind me how much there is to learn and know,
how big and special is this world,
that the smallest things matter.

I am thankful for today's fun,
hanging out and laughing together under a fabric parachute.
All of us, huddled together.
Such a simple,
surprising, and
silly moment.
Preschoolers full of joy and delight.
A small moment,
a moment to treasure.

Happy Thanksgiving!