Thanksgiving

Ah, America! That was my reaction upon arriving in Chicago for a whirlwind celebration of "American Thanksgiving" with my sisters. I don't have many emotional ties to the Midwest, yet I found myself inordinately fond of the quintessentially American small town of Wheaton, where Adelle goes to school. The train that goes through the middle of town, the small shops on the main street, the signs of patriotism, the friendly people, all these made me feel that I had come home. Even the aspects of America that one hardly considers positive, such as commercialism and chain stores I found endearing quirks upon returning to my homeland. Here I know the culture, understand the people I encounter and am not likely to be disgraced by something as simple as buying a meal--accidentally giving a quarter when I mean to give a Loonie.

The only thing tempering our joy at our reunion was a paper on Kierkegaard Krista had to write, but we still managed to fit in lots of time together. We toured Wheaton College, met Adelle's friends, saw her church, danced around outside when it snowed, and went on many walks around town. Thanksgiving Day was celebrated with Adelle's friends Liz and Brynna and their inimitable parents. Adelle and Co. had masterminded a full Thanksgiving meal for us and pulled it off with only a small apartment kitchen and utensils. There were 9 of us and 9 pies--so enough for leftovers for days to come!

Lots to be thankful for. What made me think of writing a post was that this time last year I meant to post on something I was really grateful for. Last November I had just retaken the GRE and improved 160 points--a phenomenal change for a score out of 1600! I didn't know whether that would be enough to get me into grad school, but I was so thankful for God's grace in helping me to improve that much. Today I am nearly done with my first semester of grad school--paid do something I love. Regardless of the challenges involved in academic life, now's a perfect time to remind myself of my gratitude to the giver of all good and perfect gifts.