Dear World,
A couple of weeks after I (Kelley) turned 20 years old, Trisha Yearwood’s song, XXX’s and OOOs, was released. During that summer, I remember driving along and singing at the top of my lungs:
She used to tie her hair up in ribbons and bows
Sign her letters with X's and O's
Got a picture of her Momma in heels and pearls
She's trying to make it in her Daddy's world
She's an American girl
An American girl
Two years later, I welcomed my son, Braden, into the world and suddenly knew the full meaning of the song.
While many women work, taking a leadership role is often a balancing act that we aren’t sure we can do well. The guilt we feel is compounded by the messages we sometimes receive from those around us. We wonder if we are doing the right thing. We wonder if we can truly have it all.
Then, we wonder why we can’t.
Here is a list of what the ladies and I have learned about ourselves over the last few years:
- We can be passionate about our families AND our role as building leaders.
- We can forgive ourselves for our mom and principal fails. No one is perfect.
- We can be good mothers while also being instructional leaders.
- We can be caring, but we can also be tough when necessary.
- We can overcome obstacles and be successful.
- We can empower others to do what’s best for kids.
- We can be vulnerable and strong.
- We can make a difference in the lives of those at home and at school.
- We can have an impact on how education looks and feels for our students.
- We can achieve balance while also knowing it’s important to sometimes make a choice between work and family.
- We can find a way to laugh through our tears and frustrations.
- We can love our school students hard while loving our own kids. We don’t need to choose.
- We can build other women leaders up because it’s not a competition.
I think I can say that I'm not only making it in my Daddy’s world, I’m killing it.
With Love,
