But there was one important condition.
Jane would no longer be expected to run it alone.
For the first time in years, other people were going to carry part of the weight.
Jane withdrew her resignation.
Not because anyone pressured her.
Not because she believed leaving would make her a failure.
She stayed because the job no longer felt like a lonely battle.
She reduced some of her extra responsibilities and began meeting with a counselor who specialized in teacher burnout. She learned to say no without apologizing. She stopped spending every evening grading papers.
And I made changes too.
I spoke to my manager and transferred to a regional position that required less travel. It meant giving up a promotion I had once wanted badly, but I realized I had been chasing a title without asking what it was costing us.
I still traveled occasionally.
But when Jane spoke, I put my phone down.
