November 12, 2013

#thankfulproject | an opportunity



Today is day 12 of The Thankful Project. Find out more about it and link up here! Today's prompt is "an opportunity".

Last week, I had a program for a bunch of 2nd graders at our Pacific Kelp Forest gallery - a huge 2-story gallery featuring numerous species of fish from the pacific northwest, including Alaska. The point of the program was to compare and contrast terrestrial and kelp forests and the animals and plants that call them home.  I started the program with a simple task for the students, to raise their hands if they've ever been in a forest.  All of the little hands shot up in the air excitedly… except for one.  Maybe he didn't understand the question, or maybe he just wasn't paying attention, but as he stared blankly at me, it made me sad for him.  Although the city is filled with concrete, there are still pockets of green and many hidden gems around. How was this possible?

That moment really got me thinking about my own childhood and how childhoods like mine are fewer and far between these days.



So today, I am thankful for my parents for giving me many opportunities as a child that I've learned to appreciate and realize that not all children were fortunate enough to experience. Thank you for raising me on the shores of Lake Huron and for teaching me to not be afraid of the water. Thank you for taking us on many family vacations and igniting the travel bug within me.  Thank you for pushing Steve and I to get over our hesitations and move to Alaska with a simple "You've got nothing to lose." While this list could go on and on, I am most of all thankful for you forcing me to get outside and explore, to not be afraid to get dirty and for shaping my passions and morals to appreciate the natural world around me, even if I currently am surrounded by concrete. I wouldn't be exactly where I am today if it wasn't for you and these wonderful opportunities.

Day 3 | a place
Day 4 | an experience
Day 7 | words


What opportunity are you most thankful for?



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Don't forget to participate in the "What inspires your senses?" photo linkup here on Friday, November 22! More details can be found here.



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3 comments

  1. Ah, I love what they said; "you've got nothing to lose". Words so simple that can certainly stick!

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  2. What a great quote and oh so true! And did you take that photo? Gorgeous shot!

    Visiting from The Thankful Project!

    Cheers,
    Alyson

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  3. My parents were similar - always pushing me to step out of my comfort zone to grow and I've become a better person because of it. I am likewise thankful for that. Yay for having awesome and supportive parents! :)

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