A couple of years ago I lazied my way out of sending Christmas cards (possibly forever, with a handful of notable exceptions). My plan that year instead was to make a list of the brief messages I would have sent people and put them all together as part of a holiday blog post, that you could read by clicking here if you were so inclined. The kicker to this was that instead of identifying which message was intended for what person, I left it all anonymous and open to wide and frustrating speculation, and was surprised to find out how many people were left curious. So, why not do a different version of that same thing?
A newer tradition at the school where I work started up last year. A pile of blank notes is kept in the staff workroom in the days leading up to the Thanksgiving break. People are encouraged to take as many of these notes as they'd like, then write a short message about why they are thankful for someone else on our staff, and then put that note in their mailbox, either signed or left anonymously. I did a few of them last year (mostly to defy expectations) and may have even received one or two myself.
Instead of passing along those notes this year though, I'm going to put my messages to my colleagues right here for the whole wide Internet to read. However, once again, I'm going to make them all anonymous. Maybe this will leave some people in the dark, but, like I said the last time I did this, I'd like to think the people who these are written for would recognize which are directed toward them. Some of these people might not ever see this post for any number of reasons, but some will. I work with a good number of quality people, several of whom have become good friends I'm grateful to have in my life. If circumstances ever present a path that would see me following a way out of education, one of the things I would truly miss about it would be these people and the sense of community they provide for me. Tonight, on the weekend before my favorite week of the calendar year, I'm going to provide some examples of why they are so important in my world, and why I'm thankful for each of them.
(And no, I am never going to solidly confirm any names regarding who these are meant for. So don't bother asking. I'm totally not kidding on this. Guess away if you must, but it just ain't gonna happen.)
Here we go....
*I have a history with you that is unique between us compared to me and anyone else in the building. I'm thankful I get to see you the semi-regular times I do, and that after what's become a fair amount of time we're still able speak in our own version of verbal shorthand.
*It's been a rare thing for me to have someone like you in a school I can talk to with such shared language. I'm thankful that element is a part of so many of my days.
*I don't know if you always get the proper credit for the amount of work you do in keeping the whole school community moving forward. More than that, I'm thankful for having someone as kind as you in my life.
*I'm thankful to witness the energy and ambition you bring to your job, as well as giving me opportunities to justify to myself that some of the decisions I'm making are the right ones.
*I'm thankful I have you for my sounding board on just about any subject I'd need one for.
*Some people change the tone of the world around them by simply being themselves. I'm thankful I get to experience a piece of that from you.
*I'm thankful I've had you around as long as I've had to help me figure out what I'm doing, encourage me in the times I'm doing something right, and call me out on my BS when I need it.
*I'm thankful for the way you won't hold back when you feel passionately about something, and for knowing I never have to hold back with you.
*I still don't fully understand why you did it, but I'm thankful that instead of trying to delicately tiptoe around the walls I've been known to put up around myself, you decided to simply bulldoze your way over them.
*I'm thankful for knowing that you are, more often than not, a part of each day for me, and because I know I could sit and frequently have the kinds of conversations with you that wander through a dozen different topics and could go on for hours at a time.
*I'm thankful that, even though I don't see you every day, you're still around.
*I'm thankful for the optimism you either naturally have or force yourself to carry, and that you manage to carry it in a manner that isn't at all overbearing.
*I'm thankful to have someone around who, as far as I've been able to tell over the years, gets me. I wish I had the chance to know you better.
Happy Thanksgiving early, everyone! If you look for ways to stretch the whole experience out over a full week instead of just one day, I promise it only gets better.
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