Introduction to Gratitude Tour: An educator’s journey in retirement

In my ultimate years of a profession I’d not deliberate and typically questioned, a number of occasions led me to consider how very grateful I used to be for previous Heads of Faculty, colleagues, college students and even highschool mates who’d carved out a profession in instructing.  

Within the spring of 2024, I used to be wrapping up my 26^th 12 months at Blue Ridge, a small boarding college with plenty of coronary heart in Greene County, VA, about twenty minutes north of Charlottesville.  Although I wasn’t absolutely retiring from instructing, I used to be leaving Blue Ridge so I used to be requested to present a “Final Lecture.”  I discovered myself recalling errors I’d made (human nature, I suppose), nationwide or world tragedies that had abruptly altered educational plans, after which directors, colleagues, college students and mates who had jogged my memory through the years that what I used to be doing mattered.  

I had begun fascinated with retirement throughout the Covid years.  The challenges that Covid offered to educators, their college students and households had been overwhelming to many.  I used to be already within the winter of my profession so it wasn’t an awesome leap to consider calling it quits.  I actually needed to finish it at Blue Ridge as a result of I owed that faculty a lot and had given a lot.  

Blue Ridge is a boarding college.  Many school members and their households stay on campus.  I by no means had.  In my ultimate 12 months, although, as a result of blissful circumstances (my spouse and I had bought our dwelling much more rapidly than anticipated and she or he grew to become employed in one other state), I used to be given a possibility to stay in a cluster of trailers with three younger individuals whom I now think about mates for all times: Dhruv Mehrotra from Pune, India, Blue Ridge graduate and English scholar of mine throughout his sophomore 12 months at BRS, who now coaches school basketball; Simon Curry from Philadelphia, PA, a historical past instructor, highschool baseball and soccer coach; and Cassius Christie from Maplewood, NJ, now teaching highschool lacrosse.  They took me in as one among their very own regardless of the numerous age distinction.  I might be endlessly grateful for his or her acceptance of me.  

After I gave that lecture, every one among my trailer mates and others hugged me.  What I’d mentioned struck a chord.   I used to be additionally requested to talk to the seniors throughout convocation, after which I used to be celebrated on the end-of-the-year school occasion.  I most likely didn’t do an awesome job of thanking everybody for these extra honors on the time, however I used to be so very appreciative.

I used to be leaving Blue Ridge however was given yet one more alternative to show that I couldn’t flip down.  It was a parttime gig on the St. Anne’s Faculty of Annapolis in Maryland the place my spouse and daughter had been already employed and two granddaughters had been attending.  Once more, I used to be full of gratitude for that probability.  I grew near my advisees and college students within the Heart for Studying – a lot in order that I had so as to add a paragraph to my Final Lecture simply in case I used to be ever requested to present that speech once more.  

I introduced my full retirement to St. Anne’s Faculty and the world within the winter of 2025.  Coincidentally, I had simply completed studying John “Chick” Donohue’s and J. T. Molloy’s 2015The Best Beer Run Ever.  The title had caught my consideration, and the story, I discovered, was about a lot greater than a beer run.  Chick confirmed his appreciation for his neighborhood buddies combating in Vietnam by delivering beer to them. 

The story is about battle, politics and friendship, however what I drew principally from it was gratitude at a time when many on this nation had been protesting that police motion.  After I started contemplating how I would present gratitude to those that impacted me throughout my instructing profession, Chick’s gesture got here to thoughts.  Buying a beverage of selection for my former directors, colleagues and college students can be a part of my mission to thank them.  It might be, because it was for Chick, a small act of kindness that will symbolize deep appreciation.  

I additionally realized that winter that Blue Ridge Faculty devoted the 2023-2024 yearbook to me.  What a nice shock!  Former colleague Dedra Demaree contacted me to let me know she wanted to ship me one thing.  I assumed I’d left one thing dreadful in that trailer and she or he’d drawn the brief straw to mail it to me.  Just a few days later, the yearbook arrived.  How considerate she’d been to ship me a replica.  I started leafing by it, and there it was, the dedication together with footage and considerate tributes from school and college students.  I used to be in tears.   

With all of those emotions swirling in my coronary heart, I got here up with an thought – a gratitude tour.  What Chick did was harmful.  He managed to search out his buddies whereas bullets actually flew previous him, and he dodged at the least one important bombing.  I’d soar in my little blue automobile and endure solely different wacky drivers.  The sentiment can be the identical, although.  After forty-three years, there can be no scarcity of these I needed to see and to whom I’d ship a beverage.  I’d additionally write about them, rejoice them.  Skilled athletes are celebrated.  So are actors and actresses. 

Those that have been lucky to search out success in these professions are compensated handsomely.  Educators, not a lot.  Identify somebody who can’t assume again to at the least one instructor or coach who made all of the distinction in that individual’s life.  You may’t.  But, educators are among the many least celebrated and lowest paid professionals in our society.  Oops.  I’ll step off my soapbox and let my writing inform the tales.  However the place to start?  I made a decision I’d begin with Heads of Faculty, a couple of choose expensive former colleagues, a handful of scholars, and several other highschool mates.  

After I started placing my record collectively, I instantly felt saddened by figuring out that lots of them have handed away.  A number of of them are listed right here.

Frank DeAngelis — served Blue Ridge Faculty for a few years in a number of roles; handed on September 16, 2014

Ed McFarlane — former Head of Faculty at Blue Ridge Faculty; handed on August 26, 2017

Joe Stiles — former scholar and actor at Carter Excessive Faculty; Class of 81; handed on July 28, 2022

Jim Niederberger — Blue Ridge Faculty historical past instructor and organist for forty-nine years; handed on November 11, 2023

Peter Cole — served Blue Ridge Faculty for seven years; handed on September 2, 2024 

Father Frank Kissel –Marist Faculty instructor and coach; September 17, 2025

And so I launched into my gratitude tour.  As of January 5, 2026, I’ve made visits to twenty-two mates in Knoxville, TN; St. George, VA; Durham, NC; Virginia Seashore, VA; Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; and Annapolis, MD.  I hope my chapters expressing gratitude for them adequately describe what they’ve meant to me and to schooling.