Kindred Gifts' Blog

I have been reflecting recently on how grateful I am for my education.

With all the kids off to school again soon, this week I have been thinking about my own school years, and realised that I'm grateful for the fact that, unlike many kids, I actually really enjoyed school.

I am grateful to my parents who encouraged me to work hard, always try my best and respect my teachers. I love the fact that they fostered in me a love of learning and appreciation of knowledge, and know that my school years and later life were, and have been, affected in a great way by this thirst for knowledge.

I'm also thankful that I was able to attend good primary and secondary schools, and I am very grateful for the wonderful, caring teachers I had all through my education. Teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world, and are so very under appreciated - I'd just like to say thanks to mine for working so hard and making a positive difference to my life. (Check out the below video about teaching which was posted on Ted.com - I love it!)

I was also so lucky to make amazing friends at school who helped me through so many important years - from a child to teenager and then adult - and I am so appreciative for all their support, friendship and laughter over the years.

I realise that many kids have a horrible time at school, whether that's through being teased, not fitting in, or simply finding that the 'one size fits all' structure of school education was not for them. I know that bad experiences in these formative years can have negative consequences for years to come, so I am so grateful for the fact that my school years were relatively smooth sailing.

If only all kids had the same opportunities and support through these formative years, how different might the world be I wonder?