What Are YOU Thankful For?

Due to the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, it’s a short week in the UIC Liautaud Office. It’s been pretty quiet here this week, most likely because a lot of you are busy getting ready for the holiday and not thinking too much about coursework or other academic questions right now!

That said, in the tradition of Thanksgiving, I figured I would focus my blog this week on some of the things I am thankful for. Some of them are goofy, but all of them give me a reason to smile and be thankful. (I know you were probably hoping to see another entry about elective courses or student organizations or academic programming… but no worries, they will make their way back into my blog soon.)

• I am thankful for this crazy Chicago weather, even though it’s frustrating at times. I love the fact that one day it’s freezing cold outside, so that when I’m inside I can truly appreciate the coziness of a warm cup of coffee. I enjoy the fact that the very next day, it could be 60 degrees and rainy, so I can smell the wet sidewalks and imagine that it’s the start of spring again. Even though it makes me crazy sometimes (especially when I don’t bring my umbrella with me because it’s November, and since when are there torrential downpours in November??)… I do enjoy the variety. It keeps me on my toes and reminds me how much I love living in a place that has four seasons – even if the four seasons sometimes get mixed up with one another and all show up in the same week as each other!
• I am thankful for the relationships I have and the support I receive from good friends and family. Not for any reason in particular – I’m just reminded every day how lucky I am to have the people in my life that I do, and I hope they realize it. I think I’ll make it a point this weekend to tell them.
• I’m thankful for the combination of sweet and savory – pigs in a blanket for breakfast, dried cranberries and balsamic vinegar on a salad at lunch, and bacon-maple cupcakes for dessert. Whoever was the first person to decide to combine sea salt with a dark-chocolate-covered caramel – I am thankful for you.
• I am thankful for music, which accompanies me through my daily commute, my work in the office, and when I’m at home making dinner. Though I sometimes appreciate silence, 99% of the time I’d rather be listening to music – and singing along, as long as no one’s listening! Without music, I’d most likely be bored… and cranky… and overall incomplete. In particular, I’d like to give a special “thank you!” to 80’s music. New Order and Erasure, sprinkled with a little Rick Springfield and Hall & Oates? Yes, please, and thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And it has to be said (not out of obligation, but because it’s true):

• I am thankful for the job I have and the people I work with – students, coworkers, faculty, friends. Especially in this economy, I know that having a job is something in itself to be thankful for… and I am especially grateful to have a job that I enjoy – and people around me every day to make it that much more worthwhile! So, thank you to all of you who are a part of UIC Liautaud. I am thankful for you!

Happy Thanksgiving!