Of all the holidays, my favorite one is the Thanksgiving Holidays in November, because they give me an opportunity to reflect, a moment to pause from life’s treadmill, and savor its blessings. This holiday provides a much-needed relief from my hectic life as an educational consultant.

What am I thankful for? I am thankful for the opportunity to continue to learn and lead. Even after my retirement in 2016, I’m busier than ever learning and sharing through speaking engagements. I feel grateful for the learning opportunities in my learning community who inspire me to make a difference in the lives of educators and parents. As educational consultant who is in great demand as speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to share my expertise to others and to learn from educational experts who keep me abreast of current research findings and issues.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.” The more we learn, the more we realize how little we really know. Will Durant, a philosopher and historian, also said, “Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.”

As I engage in continuous learning trying to be a leader as a learner, I find books are a refuge. Books are an escape from the prison of the self and an escape from the responsibilities of the here and now. Learning and books are my therapy, keeping all my problems in perspective.

This month is not only for thankful reflection of the past year, but it’s also a time for anticipation. The growing crispness of the air, the colorful leaf changes, and other signs of winter’s imminence inspire me to look forward to the winter holidays. Therefore, November is the perfect month to look back and forward at the same time.

Quotes on Thanksgiving:

1. We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.

2. If the only prayer you said in your whole life was “thank you,” that would suffice.

3. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

4. Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.

5. Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

6. There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.

7. Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many―not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

Books I would like to recommend to parents:

■ College Knowledge by David Conley

■ A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink

■ Mindset by Carol Dweck

“Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own.”

---Charles Dickens---

drsuzieoh@gmail.com

<Dr. Suzie Oh 교육학 박사·교육컨설턴트>