All day today I’ve been flooded by feelings of gratitude, and I just want to take a moment to reinforce those feelings. Today, I was so grateful for:

• Waking up rested and relaxed, even after having a cup of espresso yesterday - and to functional medicine for helping unlock the secrets to that elusive good sleep

• Living in a place where I can walk to work, feeling the energy rise in me and the city together - and to the people of Morgantown for sharing in the community with me

• Watching the stunning sunrise over law school hill - apricot, lavendar, and baby blue washed together - and to the Creator who made me to see it

• Spending quiet morning hours in my cheery law school office, indulging every question that comes into my mind about the immigration history I’m studying - and to the faculty who made the decision to hire me fifteen years ago and to give me a space to do this research

• Having another deep, bitter cup of espresso - and to MaryJo, who takes the trouble to run the machine once in advance for me so the coffee will be nice and hot

• Re-living the moments and speeches and petty squabbles in our nation’s history captured in the Congressional Record - and to the recorders and historians and archivists who took the care to capture and publish and digitize them

• Making a connection with an undergraduate student who came to interview me about immigration law for a writing assignment - and to the student for generously opening up about her own and her family’s ongoing immigration journey

• Enjoying a warm and easy rapport with the students and adjunct attorney in my Immigration Law Clinic class this year - and to the students for bringing energy, enthusiasm and openness to all of their work

• Running home in the rain - and to all the running buddies and coaches (past and future) who’ve pounded the trails with me and taught me to love running

• Meeting Gary in our sauna after a soggy run - and to the prior owners of our house who valued the sauna enough to install one and sell it to us

This is my gratitude list today. What is yours?