Five friends enter the Peckish Pig at 7PM, ambience cozy with tea lights aglow against dark wood tables that were mostly empty and spread apart. Each person looked tired and a little flustered from braving the chilly autumn winds that evening, but spirits were high nonetheless.

It was November 26, 2021, the day after Thanksgiving.

They hadn't seen each other in person in over a year. Sure, there were online games and long chat sessions over Zoom... but it wasn't the same as sharing space and time in each others presence.

At that time, my friends and I had many plans derailed; everyone did at the time. Life was put on hold and for good reason.

That night, it seemed like the future was so distant and so unsure. However, we wrote down what we were thankful for at the moment. We toasted to relationships, to health, to home, and to life. On felt pumpkin cutouts I had gotten for another purpose a year prior, we preserved our thoughts and thanks for that year.

I just rediscovered the notes that were written that night as my mom and I were decorating for Thanksgiving this year. Rereading our sentiments, it made me realize that even the things that we thought were more stable at a time when the world was on full tilt had changed. One friend broke off their engagement, another doesn't really speak to their family, and some had their health in flux. It doesn't change how grateful any of us were at the time, but it's ironic to note how giving thanks is a very in the moment, today thing.

Sure, you can give thanks for what we received from the past and what we are offered in the future... but the act of giving thanks is about the thoughts and feelings of the moment... of the gifts at the forefront of the mind.

Like a wise old turtle once said from one of my favorite movies: Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift...that is why it is called the present.

It's hard to think about the gifts that we are given and the opportunities we are bestowed when it seems like there is so much to despair or be frustrated about. When times are tough, it's hard to take a step back to see exactly where we are on the journey of life.

However, it's an important practice to do - because we only have this moment in time to appreciate the presents of the present before they are gone or forgotten.

So, I give thanks for what I can think of right now... to my family, my pets, my friends, my colleagues, to more adventures, and to our community. Tomorrow I might think of something else to add or some things may change, but today I'm grateful nonetheless and put those things at the forefront of my heart.

The GGCP acknowledges the land upon which Glen Grove School stands on and in being part of this community, we want to share resources to further our students' and families' knowledge of the land and respect communities of past and present.

Special thank you to Dr. Ellison for also donating on behalf of the GGCP as part of the land acknowledgement at the most recent Remembering Loved Ones Event on October 25, 2024.

See below for our updated land acknowledgement and growing resources about Native American & Indigenous People.

• Scholastic's list of 10 Community Giving Ideas
• Ways to give through UNICEF
• Volunteer with Glenview Youth Services

If your are interested in volunteering for this event, please reach out to a GGCP member! You are welcomed to come to our upcoming meeting to start the planning!

We asked students and staff to share how to say "thank you" in different languages

The Haudenosaunee have an agricultural practice that they have carried for generations involving the planting of corn, beans, and squash. Known as "The Three Sisters," these plants benefit from each other as they grow. Learn about "The Three Sisters" and their importance in continuing the culture of the Haudenosaunee.

How do you show thanks?

• Katherine Ellison, Glen Grove Principal
• Aurora Joaquin, Glen Grove Speech-Language Pathologist
• Katelyn Kelleher, Glen Grove Psychologist
• Hedy Helfand, Glen Grove English Language Learning Teacher
• Lisa Funke, Glen Grove Learning Resource Center Director
• Nicole Bright, Glen Grove 4th Grade ClassroomTeacher
• Marie Chang-Pisano, Glen Grove Reading Intervention Associate
• Sylvia Gorski Duarte, District Title III Family Resource Teacher
• Lindsey Lurie, District Multilingual Instructional Coach

Email: GGCommunityProject@gmail.com

Instagram: @ggcommunityproject