I have a collection of letters from recent fourth graders, full of advice and well wishes for a new school year. . I’m posting many of them in the classroom to welcome the new fourth graders. Except this one. I will not hang it in the classroom, but I am keeping it forever. “Hello, future […]
Okay, my friends. I have many things to tell you. Big Things. In the last more-than-a-decade that we’ve been sharing this space together, we have lived a lot of life together, you and me. There are things I have told you, and there are things I have not said. It’s time. As you know, my […]
A Patriot's Promise is released TODAY, on the Fourth of July. Already #1 in THREE categories on the Amazon market, it's soaring to the top -- as a hero's memoir should. Let me just tell you, this story sings. On this release day, I've handpicked a handful of my favorite sentences from this book: "I […]
Significance is a desire within us, a birthright. We each long to matter, to be extraordinary, to be outstanding, to be a unique contribution. We do not want to be ordinary. To be “ordinary” is to be “just another one of those.” Nobody wants more of the same. This is what draws us to Starbucks […]
We call her Big Mama, and sometimes Mama Cass. She is the giant red umbrella that shades our patio during my favorite seven months out of the year, from April to October. On the off months, she hibernates like a big red bear on a shelf in the garage, and I long for the day […]
"We rescued him from the mall." That's what I always say to describe how he came to be ours. In part, I say that because it can be considered poor taste to purchase a pet. I quickly learned this after posting about him on the blogs and socials. People panicked and sent me carefully worded […]
"Mom, can you opt us out of the state testing?" "Why?" "Because some other moms are doing that." "Maybe they have a good reason." "Can you find a good reason?" "I can't, actually." "I wish you could." "I'm sorry to tell you, you didn't get that mom." "It's a dumb test, Mom. It doesn't even […]
We had just introduced ourselves, this group of people who would share the day together. They're somewhere in between learning to tie shoes and learning to ride bikes, in that life stage where you're going about your day and suddenly a tooth falls out of your mouth. These were my companions for the day. […]
I have students whose names I cannot pronounce yet. I've never learned how to read these collections of letters. When they correct me, sometimes I cannot hear the difference between the two words, what I said wrong and what they want me to say differently. I feel like a ridiculously white American as we stand […]
"Tell me about a book you've read more than once." This is how you can find some of the best books in the world. If you ask me this question, I'll tell you about Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Big Magic. Big Magic is a book about creative living beyond fear. Fear is boring, and creativity calls […]
It's been seventeen years since I was in the classroom. A few things have changed. The shoes I'm willing to teach in. Smart phones. Pronouns. Adjustments for a pandemic. Protocol for lockdowns. My last name. Many things haven't changed. I still love it with every bit of my being. When I observed my […]
Once upon a time, two years ago, Sean Castle came to me with an idea. "Tricia, I'd like for you to write a book with me." "That's one of my favorite things to do," I said, my heart lifting at the very idea. "What's the topic?" "Investing." My heart dipped at that very idea. "Oh, […]
This is my friend, Israel “DT” Del Toro Jr. DT is a real American hero, retired as Senior Master Sergeant and special ops paratrooper with the Air Force. He was blown up when his Humvee rolled over a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. He had third degree burns over 80% of his body, he was in […]
At the middle table at Starbucks, a mom and her daughter are playing a game and drinking hot chocolate. Mom is white, Little Girl is not white, and Little Girl has a beautiful afro. At the corner table at Starbucks, a young woman is working at her computer. Young woman is not white, and she […]
In his book, I Wrote This For You, Iaian Thomas wrote a breathtaking poem that I can't stop thinking about. In his words -- I hope that in the future they invent a small golden light that follows you everywhere and when something is about to end, it shines brightly so you know it's […]
Today, I've been thinking about the time when we were on a layover at the airport and a young man asked Peter to tie his tie for him. His mother would be waiting for him at baggage claim, and he knew she'd want to see him in a tie. He needed somebody's dad to help […]
I didn't write this, but I wish I did. And I don't know who needs to hear this, but I definitely did. "Cakes have gotten a bad rap. People equate virtue with turning down dessert. There is always one person at the table who holds up her hand when I serve the cake. 'No […]
A Few Days Later, Mary Hurried. These words lit up on the page today. I love when I see something I've never seen, especially in the story of the birth of Jesus. That sentence holds a palpable tension. She waited a few days, but also, she hurried. Here's the context. In the sixth month of […]
Let's talk about who's really killing it during the month of December: The Teachers. They're planning units that are the perfect blend of both celebratory and politically correct. They're orchestrating learning centers involving candy canes and reindeer. They're utilizing extra amounts of glitter and glue, all of which travel home with them and stay on […]
Some of you have written to me, asking me to write in response to the sadness that overwhelms, asking me to speak into what we can do to help when we don't know what to do. To all of us who are helpless but want to help someone grieving in our world, to those of […]
