Thank you for taking the time to visit my site...
                                         
Humbly,
Stacey Annand

    As a young child of the seventies, there are certain memories from outside of my home which were quite influential. I recall early learning environments which were experiential and allowed us to play in dirt, swing on a rope from trees, and run around...
without any fear. A sense of freedom is what stayed with me.
I had a second grade teacher who had bean bags, couches, and a black and white television in our classroom. The “living room” was where we all spent time dialoguing with one another, and at 12:00pm each day we would watch the news and discuss current social issues. A sense of valuing my voice is what stayed with me.
I remember joyfully going to work with my mother where she worked as a hair dresser at a hair salon and playing “receptionist.” Everyone welcomed me warmly. A sense of feeling included is what stayed with me.
I was able to go to work with my father as well; which entailed a train ride into New York City, grabbing a snack, a brisk walk down the city streets, and going to appointments. I would eagerly use his typewriter to be his “secretary” as he would dictate a "very important" memo to me.  A sense of feeling significant is what stayed with me.
My grandparents owned a bakery, and while “working” there as a young girl, my grandmother would put me on the cash register. The register was old and did not tell you the amount of change to give. My grandmother would stand next to me as I learned how to calculate the correct change. She did not care how long the line was, or how impatient the customers might become. I was given many jobs, tasks, and responsibilities at the bakery; and when it was payday, I was sent back to the accounting office to receive my envelope just like everyone else. A sense of feeling believed in is what stayed with me.

    I share these glimpses because they made a long-lasting impression. A sense of being treated equal and feeling taken seriously is what they each represent. These experiences remind me that while I was a child, I was not treated childish. These vignettes from my childhood instilled a sense of feeling capable of contributing to the world around me in a meaningful way.

    Throughout my personal and professional journey, I continue to meet others who inspire me in an newly meaningful way. I feel blessed to learn from those who have paved the way. I learn from their research, knowledge, and experience. I feel honored to learn from those who are trying to find their way. I learn from their courage, willingness, and vulnerability.

    Through my academic studies, professional trainings, and personal growth I have learned that I know many things, and I know nothing. I understand many things, and I could not possibly understand others. I can provide guidance in some ways, and be guided in others. I am constantly in a state of motion; evolving and unfolding.

    Life is flowing as I learn from and witness the life of my teenage son...