Thanksgiving

Words cannot begin to express how full I am tonight, and not just from the food.

It was strange waking up on Thanksgiving morning, getting ready for work and not watching the parade.

Many children came up to me this morning on the playground and wished me a "Happy Thanksgiving" before I could wish them one!  One of my pupils even made a cake for me!  I received cards, festive decorations and lots of well wishes from the staff.  I enjoyed making thankful turkeys with my students this morning and sharing with them even more about the purpose of Thanksgiving, but I had no idea what was headed my way.


I received this invitation on my desk this morning...


When I arrived in the Food Tech Room, I was blown away!  One class had made hand prints of what they were thankful for to add to the decorations, the table was set with festive fall decorations and there was loads and loads of food!  Behind my back, the staff had gotten together and planned a Thanksgiving feast for our lunch.  There was stuffing, turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy and even green bean casserole with apple pie for dessert!  The head teacher said some very kind words about my presence at Fulbrook, and then asked everyone to stand who brought in an item.  I think the entire room stood.  It was a true out-pouring of love from the entire faculty.  I've been blessed in my life to be surrounded by thoughtful people, but lunch today was truly one of the most touching moments in my life, a moment I'll never forget.  We enjoyed a proper feast, a proper Thanksgiving meal of thanks and celebrations; it just happened to be in classroom at a school rather than in the home of a family member.



But the fullness didn't stop there!  Just as any good Thanksgiving celebration, it was a full day of feasting and one meal just wouldn't do!  Kelly's lovely friend Gemma, who has taken me in, invited me to have a meal with she and her parents, and what a meal it was!  She and her mother prepared chicken, carrots, potatoes, brussel sprouts, parsnips, swedes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and then apple crumble and pineapple upside down cake!  The meal was delicious, but the company even better!  I, again, felt so welcomed, so humbled by the generosity of others.

Thanksgiving is about spending time with loved ones, feasting and remembering all that we have to be thankful for.  Today, I certainly feasted, I spent time with new friends and added to my ever-growing list of things to be thankful for.  I'll never forget the Thanksgiving day that I spent in England.  It shall always be remembered as one of the fullest days of my life.






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