Gratitude Poem by Kurt Vonnegut

I found this poem today and love it. This was one of the last things Kurt Vonnegut wrote and it is powerful. Enjoy and share!

Joe Heller

True story, Word of Honor:

Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer

now dead,

and I were at a party given by a billionaire

on Shelter Island.

I said, “Joe, how does it make you feel

to know that our host only yesterday

may have made more money

than your novel ‘Catch-22’

has earned in its entire history?”

And Joe said, “I’ve got something he can never have.”

And I said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?”

And Joe said, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”

Not bad! Rest in peace!”

— Kurt Vonnegut

The New Yorker, May 16th, 2005

Powerful videos to help children

Here is a link to some fantastic videos from the Greater Good Science Center on helping kids in a number of important areas, like feeling loved, being honest and feeling compassion:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/video

This will be a short post today because I know this is the busy time of year. This post goes out to all the truly amazing teachers who are back in the classroom or will be soon. Right now, at my current job at WGU, I have the pleasure of helping about 100 college students become teachers. Today, I found a great article on "How to Fall In Love with Teaching Again" and wanted to share it. Thanks to all the inspirational educators out there who are helping reshape the future of our planet!

Gratefulness.org is offering my five-session eCourse for educators on-demand now. A perfect way to keep energized through the school year and interject some gratitude into your life!

This eCourse will include practical, research-based activities and a new gratitude curriculum shared by educator and author, Owen Griffith. Owen’s book, Gratitude: A Way of Teaching, will offer structure to help guide the course as we create opportunities for educators to explore gratitude as a way to improve class culture; academic and social success for students; and resilience and satisfaction in students and educators alike. These are tense and challenging times. The safety of our kids and a classroom culture that uplifts and strengthens what is going right is essential. Gratitude has a role to play in building resilience and reducing stress.