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.
Honoring Our Fathers This Father’s Day
This weekend I’m remembering my father, Cliff Decker, who died of heart disease in 1956, and my daughter Laura’s father, 1st Lt. James L. Hull, who was killed in the Vietnam War in 1971. We will never forget them and still miss them. Who are you thinking of today?
PsychCentral Highlights Your Turn in Article Addressing Anxiety
PsychCentral, a prominent mental health social network, recently featured my upcoming book, Your Turn: Ways to Celebrate Life Through Storytelling, in the fascinating new article, “8 Ways to Write Away Your Worries”. Author Margarita Tartakovsky outlines how writing is an effective tool for addressing anxiety and worrying. Writing disrupts the “worry cycle”, according to cited […]
Bridging Cultures: My Trip to China and the Most Memorable Painting
In our current state of affairs, the United States and China are going through tremendous political differences. Leaders of both nations are clashing amid a trade war that has had long-term consequences for both countries. Considering the ongoing political divisions between China and the U.S., I have been thinking a great deal about my trip […]
