I am really working hard to avoid feeling hungover at the end of this school year. It’s been a long year for me that involved a lot of hurdle jumping, dart dodging, problem solving, traffic directing, and celebrating of milestones in the lives of students and campus partners. Last week we began the end of […]
In my line of work, I know that there is always potential for unpredictable, unexplainable things to happen. Sometimes the job of supporting students, their families, and members of the community through moments of extreme crisis, trauma, or challenge weighs heavy on my mid and heart. I love the fact that during the course of […]
The message today is short and sweet. I know I’ve said that before, but today I really mean it. I really have to mean it because as is my usual my weekend plans include more than I really can get done in one weekend. The irony in me saying that with my “outside voice” is […]
Wednesday as the work day drew to a close, a colleague who was exiting the building said, “I’m gone.” I replied, “Have a great weekend!” Everyone in earshot immediately laughed out loud as I looked and felt perplexed. Then, she said something like, “It’s not Friday yet, Kim. It’s only Wednesday.” I shook my head, […]
Daddy used to tell me to be mindful of how I treated those who might be perceived to have less status than others in the community. He told me to be respectful to those who cleaned, cooked, and took care of many of the things I didn’t care to manage or didn’t have time to […]
Asking and answering the question, “What will be different about me in six months?” directed my thoughts to other times in my life when intimacy with a life challenge resulted in personal growth. I thought about the developmental process of my children from birth to six months. I experienced their evolution from infants dependent on […]
Last week, while traveling to Alabama, I wrote about lessons I learned in a six month period that inspired the course of my life for almost a year. I spent last weekend in Alabama visiting my sister-in-law and my sister. It was my first visit to Alabama since my brother’s death almost a year ago. […]
“What will be different about me in six months?” I asked myself when I learned that I was the last candidate standing after a competitive search and that I would not be offered the position. I also asked close friends and mentors, “What will be different in six months?” Some sat with me and absorbed […]
One of my passions is building healthy, supportive villages for young people. I started this blog because I realized that grown folks often lacked the skills and abilities necessary to communicate and encourage young people in a way that propelled the young ones to greatness. Most often I found that grown folks couldn’t even help […]
Silence abruptly interrupted the noise. Silence startled my chaotic system that normalized the noise. Silence force me to dismiss the comfort of the external vibrato and the reverberating sound within. Silence rested at zero on the decibel meter, then locked the dial at quiet. Silence demanded my attention. Silence was a forced and pregnant pause. […]