This story originally appeared in the Fall/Winter 2019 issue of Harker Magazine. 

Stacie Wallace spends her days as middle school English department chair and grade 8 English teacher. But what shines through most about her is her thoughtfulness and introspection, and her pride in her three alumnae daughters, Rachel ’05, Molly ’07 and Sophi ’09, each of whom has provided a grandchild to dote on! She reflects that, after a “tumultuous and unstable childhood … I’m grateful for the life I was able to create for  myself,” and her conversation with Harker Magazine reveals the ways she lives for balance and gratitude each day.

What is the one thing in the world you would fix if you could wave a magic wand?
Distances between family members. I would wave my wand and POOF!, everyone’s over for dinner at my house.

What one piece of advice you would offer anyone who asks?
Don’t apologize for taking up space on the planet. If you need to apologize for something real, that’s fine, but don’t feel you have to apologize for everything.

What are you obsessed with?
Right now, I’m obsessed with NYT Cooking, a Facebook group that shares recipes (from the New York Times and all kinds of others) and supports one another in our efforts to try new things.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
Advice/caution really: “This too shall pass.” It’s meant to reassure, I think, as in, “It won’t always be this hard.” That was so helpful when I was raising three little ones. But as I’ve grown older, I see it’s also a gentle warning to appreciate things in my life, because they won’t always be there, or be the same.

Where in the world are you the happiest?
In my sister’s kitchen having a cup of coffee and talking and laughing. I never laugh as much as I do when we’re together.

If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
Ha! I would wake up ready to write that novel and get going full bore on it.