Thanksgiving thoughts

I was teaching on Thanksgiving Day this year....just as I have for the past 6 years here in Hungary, as this is an American holiday not celebrated here. Many always ask me if I miss celebrating Thanksgiving. I'm getting used to it....of course I miss the turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, etc., but then I get to spend the entire week talking about these yummy things in my classes at school. I also get to teach the REAL meaning of Thanksgiving....not that the Pilgrims were "thanking the Indians", which they were, but ultimately, they were thanking the God of the universe. Yes, I have the freedom to teach that here without getting into trouble! I then get to have my students write down 5 things they are thankful for; Hungarian students are pretty much the same as American students I think: "I'm thankful for my family, my friends, my pets, my home." Some of the more revealing thanks included: "I'm thankful for my faith in God; for my grandmother who came and took care of me after my surgery; for the fact that I have a place to live and don't live on the streets; for my best friend who is always there for me when my family is screaming." So, each year, I grow more thankful that I actually teach on Thanksgiving, because I get the blessing of learning more about my kids here. I'd still love some good cranberry sauce, but maybe I'll get some of that at Christmas time!