At 57 years old, I find myself reflecting on what my mother was experiencing at this same stage of life. Not as a comparison, but as a source of encouragement—a reminder that even in the face of disappointment, transition, and uncertainty, purpose still unfolds in divine timing.
In the year 2000, my mother was at a major crossroads. After 35 years in education, she had risen through the ranks—starting as a high school English and French teacher at the historic all-Black William Penn High School, then integrating T. Wingate Andrews High School in 1968 as an English teacher, and eventually climbing to senior leadership within Guilford County Schools. She had dedicated her career to shaping students and breaking barriers, and now, she was vying for the role of superintendent—a position that seemed like the culmination of her decades of hard work.
But that year, tensions ran high in Guilford County Schools. The battle for the superintendency was intense, filled with political maneuvering and difficult conversations about leadership, race, and the future of the district. In the end, the school board chose Terry Grier over her, a decision that left many in the community deeply disappointed. After pouring 35 years into education, mentoring students, and shaping policies, my mother found herself at an unexpected impasse.
So in April of 2000, at age 57, she made the decision to retire—or rather, to resign—from Guilford County Schools. The weight of it all—the stress, the disappointment, and the sudden shift—took a toll on her health. She fell seriously ill, and for a time, it seemed like the years of fighting, pushing, and leading had finally caught up with her.
But my mother’s story didn’t end there.
That same year, in the wake of loss, illness, and transition, her life shifted into ministry. She enrolled at Hood Divinity School and soon began pastoring her first two United Methodist Church charges—Faith United Methodist Church and St. Paul United Methodist Church in Mooresville, NC. The doors that had closed in education led her directly into her second calling—one that would define the rest of her life.
Her journey reminds me that even the most difficult endings can be the beginning of something greater.
Now, at 57, I, too, am preparing for my own shift. In a few years, I will transition fully into my writing and publishing career, focusing on helping others tell their stories and preserve their legacies. Just as my mother moved from education to ministry, I am moving from teaching into a new space of impact through storytelling, publishing, and writing education.
Her life teaches me that disappointment is often divine redirection. What may feel like a closed chapter is sometimes just the turning of a page—leading to a story greater than we could have ever imagined.
Here’s to embracing the shift, walking in purpose, and trusting the process.
In love and charity,
Giselle (aka) Blooming-lillie