I am thankful for the cool air this morning. It’s filled with moisture and weighs lightly on my skin until a Nebraska breeze glides past and stirs it once more.

I am thankful for strong legs and feet that carry us to school in the morning, and for the way they walk, jump and run at our command.

I am thankful for aggressive Yorkies on the bike path and how they make me laugh as they remind me of my old dog Chloe and her crazy neurotic ways.

I am thankful that God goes with me, throughout my day and Livia’s. I am thankful he hears when I talk to him and I am thankful Livia is getting to know more of him as she grows. (This note of gratitude is written to him.)

I am thankful for Livia’s teacher and how insanely awesome she is. I am thankful our school administration believed Livia would learn well under her teaching, and how each detail I continue to learn about this educator builds my confidence in the leadership of our school. Thankful, thankful, thankful.

I am thankful for my husband in so many ways. I’m thankful for the ways he comforts and protects me as well as the ways he pushes me out of my comfort zone and encourages me—in his straightforward Jeremy way—to prove I can do new things. Yes, I did not want to license and register our new vehicle the other day and I certainly did not want to wait in line at the DMV, but I did it. And I can do it again.

I am thankful, once a challenging experience has passed, to learn of humility, grace, forgiveness and mercy. This life is not an easy one and it’s filled with people who have good moments and bad. May I continue to take deep breaths, believe the best about the folks around me (including myself and my family members) and dole out grace in enormous portions.

I am thankful today is Wednesday. And school has started. And that I have more time to work at last.

With that I’ll sign off. Happy Wednesday to you all!

PS: What are you thankful for?