My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.
—Maya Angelou
How Will I Thrive?
Spring caught me by surprise this year. Suddenly, I’m putting together the Spring Break Special Edition. I’m stunned to realize that 25 percent of 2026 has passed.
Next week is spring break for Midwest schools. I looked at the calendar and realized I have no plans. I cannot remember a spring break with no plans. Usually I either visit family in Tennessee or have a lineup of adventures with friends or a spring cleaning list or big plans to read and write and cook.
This year I’m stunned that it is spring and I have no plans other than survival.
Please don’t read that line and be concerned or worried. It is simply the nature of life; sometimes we walk through storms. Sometimes the storms come heavy and hard. There have been several upheavals in my professional and personal lives.
Maya Angelou is famous for writing
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.
And so, I ask myself, How will I thrive?” The articles in this edition are all answers to that question. They have been good for my soul… There is even one I read for the first time. I opened Suzy Kaback’s “Laundry Line Luxuries,” and my eyes pricked with tears. I sent Suzy a text message that said
You wrote “Laundry Line Luxuries” in 2013 and I think it was meant for 2026-Me.
I will be using spring break to move from surviving to thriving. For me, this means spending time outside in the woods without being concerned about efficiency.
I hope you intentionally answer the question How will I thrive? The articles below are a good place to begin… and since they are part of a special edition, they will be free for everybody for the next week.
Shine on,
Ruth Ayres
Editor in Chief
Suzy Kaback writes about the pleasures of slowing down and being inefficient sometimes in teaching and relationships.
Hannah Tills reflects on the importance of career changes in education and how they are not always about working to a higher leadership position. Hannah offers a guiding light for anyone who is wondering if a different position may be calling—even if it means returning to a past role.
Are you wondering how to maintain a reading life as a busy adult? Dana Murphy shares her secrets and insights that will have all of us prioritizing our own reading lives.
Gretchen Schroeder struggles to understand the meaning and value of her teaching when two former students overdose and die, another pleads guilty to murder, and yet another is arrested for domestic violence. She also looks at the corrosive effects of both apathy and envy. The result is a deep reflection on how teachers can move beyond sadness and other difficult emotions.
Andrea Smith reflects on preparing to say goodbye to students and her teaching partner of many years. If you have a favorite colleague who is retiring, you may want to get a hankie ready before you read this one.
Quote It:
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
—Lao Tzu
That’s all for this week!
