The Spider and the Sage

[The Stage is on Fire] is a page-turner in which, much like life, there are no easy answers and yet each step of the journey yields insight and hope. This work of heart must not be missed!

Melanie Faith

Creative Writing Teacher, Essayist & Poet.

Katie Steedly’s first-person piece [The Unspeakable Gift] is a riveting retelling of her participation in a National Institutes of Health study that aided her quest to come to grips with her life of living with a rare genetic disorder. Her writing is superb.

The Society of Professional Journalists

In recognition of receiving the Dateline Award for the Washingtonian Magazine essay, The Unspeakable Gift.

I thank you … It is the authenticity of your “class notes”; and it is the delicacy and skill with which you present the nuances of classroom life and the actuality of your students’ and fellow teachers’ lives.

Maxine Greene

Philosopher and Education Scholar

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I would rather be fooled than not believe.

-Mark Nepo

This post draws from the story of the spider and the sage.

Because This is What I Do

Kindness is something we can simply do. We believe in basic kindness and act in that way. It is said in similar ways and the truth remains — Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Forgive 7 x 70. Turn the other cheek. We do these things because they are simply what we do.

Paying it forward

I believe in kindness. I believe in paying it forward. Kindness and paying it forward are related in that paying it forward is born of an impulse that asks nothing in return, an open heart that seeks only to love, and an outstretched hand extended in peace. I learned a few things at a really young age – share, be generous, and be grateful. It was not uncommon for serving others to be woven into the fabric of my childhood. In that way, paying it forward became just what I do.

irises bursting through snow in spring

Irises are a special flower to the women in my family. We have shared irises across generations and homes. We plant irises because that is simply what we do in my family. So many iris bulbs have been planted over the years it is impossible to know exactly who gave them to whom. I have always loved seeing them bloom in spring. They are the embodiment of strength and story for me. They are fierce and beautiful. They are a connection to the past and a promise for the future.

Kindness is not foolish. Believing is sacred.

Kindness is not foolish. Kindness is born of absolute resolve and faith. Faith and fear cannot coexist within the same heart. In that, kindness is an act of courage and believing is sacred. Believing is sacred. When we choose to be kind and to believe, love is simply what we do.