Saffron Trust | The Grit and Grace Project

What Going Back to School After 40 Taught Me

By Saffron Trust / Purpose, Work & Money

At 48 years old, I was earnestly trying to put myself through school. Keyword: trying. My initial gung-ho spirit was suddenly cut short during my third semester when my English professor returned one of my writing assignments. The piece was smeared in red ink and included a note at the very end which read, “You should not be pursuing your undergraduate degree until you learn how to read and write.” I sat, sobbing, as I read and reread the comments and examined my hard work in utter disbelief. The old fears that I had hoped to extinguish years ago came back to haunt me again. An all-too-familiar voice resumed its daunting post within my heart, battling my conscience over whether or not I […]

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Make It a Great Day!

Today’s visit to the bank should have followed the same basic routine it always has; a few transactions in a few minutes. But what I thought would be a simple exchange of polite greetings with a bank representative transformed into a beautiful connection with “Nick” (on his name tag). It was an encounter that has influenced my thinking and taught me a valuable lesson about how precious each second of every minute, hour and day are to those of us still drawing breath on this earth. As I exited the bank, Nick called my name. As I turned around, he pointed in my direction and said, “Phyllis, remember to ‘Make it a Great Day.’” I smiled and said, “I will!” After learning