Gratitude

I am not a fan of homework. I was not a fan of homework when I was a student, although I did it without fail, and at times even did it well. I was not a fan of homework when I was a teacher, and only assigned it out of peer pressure or mandates from the administration. I think there are better ways for young children to spend their time after school, than doing more of the same thing they just did for 6-7 hours. I have most certainly not been a fan of homework for Wil, and have been quite vocal on the subject. He doesn't have much, but any at all tips our scales to the danger zone.

He is now finishing 10th grade, and has been in school since he was two. He just recently came home with his first meaningful, practical, do-able and dare I say significant, homework assignment. For two weeks he was to keep a gratitude journal. Just jot down (or in his case, have me jot down) five things a day for which he is grateful. He was not supposed to "re-post," but stretch himself to think of different things each day, as each day brings new things for which to be grateful. Wil totally rocked this assignment, the list rattled off his tongue as he ate garlic toast, bananas cut into slices, baby carrots dipped in water, and taco meat each and every single night. He even elaborated. In each and every case, two weeks of gratitude times five a day (too much math for me), the "what" was not a what, but a whom. He has so many people in his life that rock, he never repeated a name, not once, and mine didn't even get on the list!

What we water, grows. Wil waters his garden of people in his life that rock, and that garden is bountiful.

I am so deeply grateful.