Dr. Tyra Manning’s story is both unique and universal, as it demonstrates the pervasive devastation of loss while demonstrating how courage and love can triumph. Tyra’s husband was shot down over the Laotian jungle while flying a top-secret mission during the Vietnam War. She learned of his death while she was hospitalized at the Menninger Clinic, where she was being treated for depression. Tyra’s worst fear had come true.
Determined to fulfill the rest of the dreams and promises she and her husband had made to one another, that she get well and become a teacher, Tyra persevered through the darkest of times. Ultimately, Tyra earned a doctorate in education from the University of Kansas, becoming one of the nation’s top school superintendents.
She has devoted her forty-year career to helping children achieve their highest potential. Since retiring in 2004, Dr. Manning’s mission has been to share her personal journey of hope with people who are experiencing depression, addiction, and loss.
Though she travels around the country delivering the messages and lessons in her new book, Where the Water Meets the Sand, Dr. Manning is a born and bred Texan. She currently resides in the Texas Hill Country.
Words Matter
When I was growing up in the 1950s a common refrain among children was, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.” Since those days, I’ve come to understand the tremendous power that verbal abuse can have on others, and how this damage is further compounded when the abuse is […]
Musings on Spirituality
This week, I’ve been busy working on my forthcoming book, Your Turn: Ways to Celebrate Life through Storytelling, and the topic of the chapter is spirituality. Contemplating this subject can feel uncomfortable, given that each of us comes to understand and define spirituality in our own way. So, I’ll share my own perspective based on […]
Stigma Impacts Mental Health Treatment for Children
A stigma often surrounds those children who suffer silently from depression and mental illness. Having been prescribed medication to treat the symptoms, children are sometimes signaled out, particularly at school, as school staff have one additional need to contend with. As a former administrator, I understand the time and effort it takes to make sure […]
