The first event was a luncheon honoring this year’s inductees to Carleton’s athletic hall of fame. I have served on the board of the committee that selects these honorees for several years and it is a very fun volunteer gig. Last year I was unable to attend this luncheon because I was deep in the swamps of chemoland. This year I was not only feeling well enough to attend but my newly restored voice allowed me to participate in many fun conversation with our inductees and their families without having to use my voice amplifier! Not ONCE  did I have to deploy my standard introduction: “I’ve had some health problems that have affected my voice. It does not hurt at all to talk, my voice just doesn’t work very well.” For the first time in a year, I no longer look or sound obviously sick. Very, very exciting!

 

The second event of the day was a grand retirement party for my friend Mary who has been the Director of College Counseling at SPA for many years. As you might imagine, shepherding students and families through the college admissions process is one of the higher stress jobs at a private school.  So I am excited for Mary to enjoy a much lower key lifestyle in retirement. (I have also reminded Mary NOT follow MY example for how to spend the first year of her retirement)! This party gave me a chance to catch up in person with a number of SPA friends that I haven't seen since I retired last June so it was great, great fun to reconnect with these most excellent people!

 

I have talked a lot about the impact my Carleton experience has had on my life. I can't imagine my life without the relationships I built there.  It has felt good in the last several of years to pay a bit of that back through the volunteer work I've done for the college.  I spent 40 years working at two great schools - Taft and then SPA. Both schools were great places to learn and grow professionally. And, most importantly, I spent those years working with profoundly dedicated, hard-working people who were fully committed to helping kids learn and grow. They are smart, caring people who keep the important things in life in perspective, are wonderfully supportive colleagues, and the best friends one could ask for.

 

So, yes.  Great schools. Lucky, lucky me.