June, 2026
When my daughter told me she was sending me an invitation to speak at my grandson’s elementary school for Career Week, I didn’t hesitate. She didn’t just invite me — she challenged me. She believes in me in a way that makes me rise to meet her faith in me.
I planned my talk, gathered sensory and affirmation stickers, and put together gift bags for the teachers. I thought I was ready. The real story began the moment I stepped into the classrooms on Day 1.
Day 1 — Stretching
The truth? I was nervous. Four back‑to‑back sessions. Three hundred little faces. Three hundred little nervous systems. Three hundred kids wondering who they might become someday.
I started with my story — I told them how, when I was their age, math felt impossible. How I stayed after school for tutoring. How I froze on tests. How the adults around me eventually decided I didn’t have the aptitude — no algebra, no geometry, just basic math. Inside, I remember thinking: “You just wait and see.”
And what did I grow up to become? A Comptroller — an accountant responsible for millions of dollars. I told them: Your greatest weakness can become your greatest strength. You’re not someone else’s reflection.
I used my notes — my “Assistant,” as I called them — and the kids laughed. The notes kept me grounded. I could tell my story connected with many students who have the same dilemma — the ones who looked at me with that familiar mix of hope and doubt.
When it was over, I felt it had gone well… not perfect. But I gave myself grace. I was doing something new, something big.
Day 2 — Alignment
The next day, I hosted a booth for the 5th–6th graders — three rounds, probably over 200 students. And something shifted.
The booth gave me space to breathe. To connect. To be myself.
The kids asked thoughtful questions. They loved spinning the prize wheel — mini notebooks, pens, bubble wands, candy, sensory stickers. Their excitement was contagious.
One of the school employees even asked for sensory stickers for her adult children. Of course, I said yes!
By the time I left, I was on a euphoric high. It felt like I had stepped into a space where I had come alive.
The Inner Shift
Looking back, the contrast between the two days was unmistakable: Day 1 — stretched me, centered me, and challenged me in all the right ways. Day 2 — revealed me, aligned me, and fed me in a way I didn’t expect.
And somewhere in that contrast, something opened.
I didn’t just “do okay.” I showed up. I told my story. I offered tools. And I may have given a few kids the hope I once needed myself.
I discovered a place where my natural magic lives — in story, in presence, in connection. In the quiet moments, when someone’s eyes soften because they feel understood. A place I want to explore more.
Because in the end, the gift wasn’t just theirs — it was mine too: a renewed belief in myself, and a reminder of how deeply I want others to believe in themselves.
If this touched a tender place in you, feel free to share your insight. It could be the reminder someone else is quietly waiting for.
