Turning Points

As I near the end of my thirty-one years at Archbishop O'Hara as a teacher and administrator, I have been thinking about turning points...those moments in life when as Robert Frost relates, "two paths diverged in a sunny woods..."  For me, there are some significant turning points....

Choosing William Woods...
Leaving my job at Camdenton to begin a Masters in geography at Mizzou....
Leaving my job as an adjunct at Mizzou to take a job as an admissions rep at Rockhurst...
Leaving that job to do graduate school at KU...
Leaving grad school to take a job at OHara....
Getting married at age 30.....
Having babies.....
Being offered a job in Liberty and turning it down when Sarah was 5 and Matthew just a baby....
Moving to Lees Summit....
Becoming the counselor when Lisa quit and Jane was in the hospital......
Moving to the administrative team.....
Deciding to get a second Masters.....
Leaving OHS....

I often wondered what would have happened had I chosen different options?   I would likely be still very much a teacher....married, perhaps....a mom I hope....ah, life is a complicated journey, filled with bends and twists...

Lasts and Firsts

It's been a sad, mad, crazy, glad weekend. Our last child, Matthew, graduated from Rockhurst University. All of our kids had the advantage of a LaSallian education in high school and a Jesuit education in college. I always tell people....it's the best combination...Lasallians for your heart...Jesuits for your head. It was my last OHS graduation as a teacher and administrator and I'm not afraid to say that I cried more than once today. Looking back over my 31 years at OHara...it's been a life shaping, life enriching, terrific journey. I've worked with the best people anywhere...Jane, my partner and compatriot; John, my student, my colleague, my boss; Walter, an inspirational leader who always saw the big picture and Stuart who always remembered the little things; Larry, an authentic gentleman in an age that's forgotten what that means and a loyal, compassionate friend; Margaret whose passion for education is still inspiring. Melissa, the rookie who grew into a terrific teacher and represents all that is good about OHara; Mary, whose passion for OHS enriches our students; Bob, my social studies sidekick; Pete Williams, still one of the most intelligent, compassionate women that I know; Lori,the younger sister I never had; Debbie, still one of my closest friends, Denise, whose honesty and friendship never fail; Lisa,who for years has kept me organized with love and affection; George, whose LaSallian spirit is an example for all of us; Br. Chuck. Br. Richard, Br. Chris, who taught me what it means to be LaSallian; Nancy and Steve, whose dedication knows no bounds; Kathy Duggan, whose passion for life inspires me; Anne Roth, who invited me to be a part of her family and for which I am forever grateful; Terry Downs who shared not one but two jobs with me; Jerry and Cathy Meyer who taught me more about courage and faith than I could learn in a lifetime... And there are so many others...I know I've forgotten several people who touched my heart and life...and those who are gone but not forgotten..Anne Hennon, Marge Wempe, Jimmy Johnson, Marvin Tucker. And students...so many terrific kids who have grown into compassionate, faithful men and women, some with families of their own. I hope I played some small role in their learning and faith journey; they certainly taught me so many lessons...the importance of community and faith...the values of zeal, patience, persistence and determination....the joy in victory and sadness in defeat...the humility in success and the determination in failure...OHara helped me raise my kids, nurtured my soul, grounded my faith and made work truly a labor of love.

Things we might be able to live without

For no particular reason, I started thinking today about things the world could easily do without...stuff that we just don't need, stuff that adds no beauty or grace or peace to our troubled planet. So, what are these things we can live without? Tattoos for starters. Really? Who needs a tattoo? They are expensive and painful and although there are some tattoo artists who are truly gifted, wouldn't they be better serving the community if they painted church windows or billboards or almost any other thing? Aspartame. Seriously. My best friend's science students tell me it's awful stuff. It causes headaches and maybe cancer. Diet Soda drinkers...try water. Chihuahuas. I love dogs. I do. And my Maltese is the epitome of a high strung barking dog. But chihuahuas? They are ugly and mean. And, so, what else? Mosquitos. Except as food for hungry purple martins, what good are they? Maybe they're God's way of reminding us that He's in charge, but seriously. They spread disease. And are annoying. Breast implants. Really. Seriously. The world does not need them. Women are beautiful...with small boobs or large. Stop trying to fix what's not wrong. Let's let plastic surgeons worry about cleft palettes and burn victims. Cup A. Rejoice.