Gratitude Conversations #3

[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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Gratitude Conversations #3

Paula Salerno Herbert. Rachel Roberts. Felicia Wilson Young.

Why Gratitude?

In 2017, heartbroken and eyeballs deep in despair, I started searching for things for which to be grateful. I asked myself the question asked by poet Katie Farris

Why write love poetry in a burning world? To train myself, in the midst of a burning world, to offer poems of love to a burning world. – Katie Farris

I reached out to people who — in the way in which they live — write love poems to our burning world. I cast my net far and wide amongst my heroes — those I knew personally and those who teach us all by their example. I invited artists, philosophers, psychologists, politicians, professors, yogis, writers, clergy, and others into a dialogue about gratitude. I am deeply grateful to those who said yes. Read more about my gratitude project methodology here.

Felicia Wilson Young

I first met Felicia in 2003 while living in Washington, DC evaluating programs for an international arts non-profit committed to creating arts opportunities for individuals with disabilities. She was a state leader and I worked in the national office. We immediately struck up a friendship that has lasted through professional and personal milestones and transitions. She is the servant leader we want and need in this world. I am grateful to have her as my friend. Read more about Felicia.

Our gratitude conversation occurred in 2018. I share this now as her work, and the work of many others, is under assault. My hope is by putting a face to a name, providing context to the global implications of what is happening, her story will bend the moral arc of the universe toward the justice to which King refers. That is what we are asked to do right now, in our own way, with urgency and love.

As you read this conversation, keep a few things in mind. Think about Felicia’s call to share her gifts with the world. What gifts are your gifts to share? How might you share them? Think about where you find joy find and how you might amplify that joy, as Felicia so beautifully does. Think about how you might might make our world a more loving place by stepping into servant leadership. Follow Felicia’s example.

Let the words of this conversation be a song that lifts your heart. If you heard Felicia sing, your heart would soar. I guarantee it.

Read my gratitude conversation with Felicia here.

Rachel Roberts

I met Rachel in Cincinnati practicing yoga at her studio, the Yoga Bar. Over several years — including a retreat she lead in Bali. She connects body, mind, and spirit with leadership in deep and meaningful ways.

In 2008, Rachel left her home in the United States to travel the world through yoga; studying under great yogis throughout Europe and Asia. She leads Bija Yoga School. She conducts workshops and international retreats, and has been a featured teacher at yoga conferences and festivals around the world.

Rachel is a seasoned communications, marketing, and business strategist. Executive Director of the Kentucky Cannabis Industry Alliance, serving and advocating for Kentucky’s medical cannabis providers and licensees. Founding Principal of RAKE Strategy, a consultancy focused on launching and scaling startups, hospitality businesses, and political campaigns. Former Kentucky State Representative for House District 67 and House Minority Whip, where she excelled in caucus strategy, legislative negotiation, and fiscal policy analysis. Served on Banking & Insurance, Transportation, and Tourism & Outdoor Recreation committees. Passionate about collaborative problem-solving and creating positive community impact.

Read my gratitude conversation with Rachel here.

Paula Salerno Herbert

Paula Salerno Herbert is music. I first met her in 1998 at Interlochen Center for the Arts. She was the leader of the High School Girls Division and I was a camp counselor charged with a cabin full of musical 15 year olds. She was integral to Interlochen Magic for me that summer. (If you have visited Interlochen, you know what I mean when I talk about Interlochen Magic.) I watched Paula’s commitment to education — and particularly educators — from afar over the years always marveling at the way she spoke up for schools, teachers, and children. I was beyond thrilled when she took me up on my offer to talk about gratitude.

Paula served as President of the Michigan Education Association from 2017 — 2023. A lifelong musician, Paula’s time at Interlochen Center for the Arts, as a camper played a seminal role in her development as a leader. Later as a IAC camp counselor, divisional director, IAA residence hall counselor and as a member of the Interlochen Alumni Council executive committee, her experiences at Interlochen continue to shape her life. A K-12 music teacher in Macomb County’s Fraser Public Schools, Herbart served in numerous leadership roles within her local, including local president. Paula has been a Michigan delegate to the Democratic National Committee and has served on the Board of Directors for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. A graduate of the University of Michigan-School of Music. Read more about Paula here.

Read my gratitude conversation with Paula here.