Giving thanks

As family and friends in the US prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, every year at the end of November I like to spend some time considering that for which I too am thankful.

This week, I've mostly been thankful that Oftsed came into school on Tuesday and Wednesday, meaning that for the third time running I've only been present for half of the inspection (2014 - day off; 2011 - school trip; 2008 - sports day).

I'm thankful to have the most kind, considerate, silly, cute, intelligent, feminist, funny, foolish guy crazy in love with me (and of course, I'm crazy in love with him too).

I'm always thankful to my pupils, who make me laugh and work so hard for me. If you could have seen my Year 9 class this morning when we got observed... they were so desperately trying to be perfect and show the inspectors how good I was, bless them.

I'm thankful for my blog. This year it has become everything I set out to achieve: a space to discuss everything from the frivolities of fashion, to my own fears and dreams, to books I love and feminist thought. I'm also endlessly thankful that through blogging I have met so many amazing people: 2014 was my year of blogger meet-ups and I'm proud to now count them as friends.

I'm thankful that this year has been one of joys for our family - an engagement for my brother, a new half-brother for my niece, visits from Canadian family - after the losses of 2013.

I'm thankful to have a lovely home with an affordable mortgage. As I sit writing this, curled up on my huge sofa with a fire roaring in the log-burning stove, I can hardly believe my luck.

I'm thankful that I'm taking measures to become debt-free, the first step in achieving my dream of going back to university to study for an MA.

I'm thankful that after a frankly terrible start to 2014, my health has improved steadily, with both my chronic pain and my IBS easing over the past few months. I'm sure it's made me a more pleasant person to be around, now I'm not constantly taking painkillers and complaining.

I'm thankful, most of all, to finally be in a place where I feel comfortable and confident with myself.