Local Schools Need Empty Nesters

Empty nesters are not exempt from caring about the success of the schools in your community. This is the time to make a positive impact!

Sometimes, it seems as if we can’t do very much to make a difference about all the negativity in our world. After all, we’re each one person with a relatively small sphere of influence. But imagine if we all committed to doing all we can to leave a positive mark in every circle we’re part of. Our circles would all overlap eventually.

This might seem especially true when we no longer have children in school. How can we do anything to participate when our hair turns gray and our children leave home or even start having their own children?

Photo by Baim Hanif on Unsplash

I had always talked about running for school board. But life is busy when you’re raising kids and running from this church thing to that. Now, as an empty nester, life has a different pace. It still feels rapid, but it’s looser, more meandering. School calendars and sports schedules don’t determine my appointments for me anymore. Now, I have more choice about what ends up on my calendar.

So a year ago, I decided to do that thing I had always talked about. I ran for school board and won.

I’m honored to serve the kids in my community in a leadership role. But I’m not suggesting you have to do the same. It doesn’t mean we’re all called to be public servants. However, you’re a bigger influencer than you might realize. I recently wrote a letter to the editor in the local paper about how our words have power. And those words affect our local communities too.

When I hear strong negatives directed toward public schools, it riles me up a bit because I’m aware of the wonderful things happening daily there. Are there challenges? Of course. But sometimes the narrative just gets passed along and repeated without the deliverer even knowing if it’s true. Those spheres of negativity have influence, even if the information isn’t factual.

What if we shifted the trend and spoke life into schools? What if we gave verbal high-fives to the people who work there? What if we found ways to make change through our words only? Here is what I shared in the newspaper.

Will you join me in this entry-level way to make a difference? You don’t have to put anything on your calendar. It’s as easy as shifting the narrative to notice the amazing work happening in your local public school every day and then spreading the word to others. One conversation, one small circle at a time. It’s a conscious effort to gently shift conversations in a different direction when we notice they are heading in a toxic direction.

In a few weeks, I’ll have the opportunity to shake graduates' hands as they walk across the stage. I’ll sign their diplomas before they receive them. There is nothing like watching the next generation of difference-makers pass this milestone.

Midlife is a milestone too. And it’s the perfect time to experience how awesome it is to have a positive impact on the next generation. Let’s use our influence well!