Opinion

We like to tell ourselves that the mind is stronger than the body. If you push hard enough, if you grit your teeth long enough, if you simply “think positive,” then you can overcome whatever pain or sickness you’re dealing with. That’s the promise in the old saying, “mind over matter.” It sounds powerful, even magical and sometimes, when you’re facing a small challenge, it works.

Spartan Families, I want to start by saying thank you. Thank you for entrusting Richmond High School with the responsibility of helping your student achieve success. Our goal is to see each of the students in our care graduate and find a career that both supports them and they enjoy doing. We take this mission seriously and I felt it appropriate to communicate those efforts and actions that we have taken in the past few years to serve our families in the best way possible.

Silence doesn’t mean distance Explaining the struggle with small talk in today’s world often feels impossible. Not the in-person kind where conversations flow naturally, but the digital version – the text messages that demand constant replies, the phone calls that expect immediate answers, the never-ending cycle of photos on Snapchat.

Rock music is the best genre there is. That’s not up for debate. The raw emotion, the range of sound and the way it carries people through life set it apart from anything else. From childhood road trips to wrestling shows to late-night drives on quiet backroads, rock has been the constant.

It was supposed to be a vacation day. A weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks doesn’t exactly lend itself to quiet reflection.

Gratitude is our ability to appreciate the good things in life. It can be very simple, such as enjoying a sweet glass of lemonade on a hot summer day or being thankful for a friendship that is important to you.

As I near the end of my second term as Chief Justice, I would like to share the incredible journey I’ve had visiting all 46 judicial circuits in Missouri over the past two years. My statewide tour was one of the most meaningful experiences of my career, aimed at showing appreciation to the hardworking court staff who keep our judicial system running smoothly every day. These individuals often work behind the scenes and don’t receive proper appreciation. They are at the forefront of addressing many challenges facing our local communities and work diligently to help address these issues. Their contributions are vital to serving the people of our state.

Most of us will never know what someone else is carrying. We walk past each other in the store or cross paths at work.