Hi! Marsha here…I just returned from a small trek to Rochester, MN. Carolyn and I separated ways this week as she joined the Arkansas Study Tour and I traveled to the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Sit back for a minute as I tell a bit of my story and how it connects to my life and maybe yours.

The back story…

My mom️ was the common denominator in my life. She didn’t really understand all the facets of why college was important; ACT scores, class rank, college admission and the like, but she was very clear on one point— “don’t spend the rest of your life walking through chicken houses and picking up dead chicks— UNLESS that is what you really want to do!”

She had an knack for carrying on a full conversation, not breaking her stride, while knocking sickly chickens in the head with one fatal blow. Her motto: float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. High five to the late great Ali.

My First Connection—

1. We all need someone in our corner. Dabbing our forehead and offering unwavering encouragement.

2. There is power in hope. Someone who sees something we might not see. Yet.

3. Holding a conversation amid all the chaos can change lives. So slow down a smidge.

Now my trip….

My Mom was an overcomer. When she got sick with lung cancer, my sister ( I call her Nurse Ratched) tossed her in the back seat of the car, and proceeded to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. No questions, no time for rebuttal—and well, that’s that mom. So I went along for the ride because if you ever had a chance to meet my sister Linda you would know that she could put a hurtin’ on someone. So I went along for safety purposes: my own.

Now years later, cherishing the several trips we made as a team to the clinic, I forged onward for my wellness checkup. After I spent a couple of days going through several tests and conversations with a lot of people, I thought about how all of this has meaning to the work at hand.

My Second Connection—

1. A wellness checkup is good for everyone. To slow down a kiddo long enough to check in on their wellness; academic and emotional, pays great dividends. An investment with returns.

2. Ditto on point #1 for teachers, principals, superintendents, bus drivers, cafeteria helpers, mom’s, dad’s, and granny . You know. Leave a little room for life.

3. Dig deep and use data that matters to “the one”. All of our Ones.

So there you have it. By the way, Minnesota is tundra cold! I almost got frostbite chasing down my Uber driver.

P.S. I had a good check up. Thanks mom!

Disclaimer- no animals were harmed in writing of this blog.