April 25

After tomorrow, five weeks of school will remain. In some ways, the year has absolutely flown by. In others, it's dragged along at the speed of a punch-drunk sloth. Tonight, I closed out one aspect of my year --and one chapter of this life of mine-- when I ran my last PTA General Association meeting at the boys' school.

I never wanted to be the President, but stepped into the role when no one else wanted to do it. I was optimistic when the year began and hoped to --and genuinely thought I could-- make a positive difference within the community. Truthfully, it's been a much harder and much, much more painful experience than I'd anticipated, and though I wish I could erase some of the hurt I've felt, I'm thankful for the perspective I've gained about the challenges of leadership. It's really easy to criticize someone else for her decisions, but until you've done her job, you really shouldn't feel that you have license to speak. I know I'll be kinder to --and more understanding of-- leaders I encounter from here on out. And I'll be a better person for it.