As we've moved into this winter season and a year of new approaches, I want to speak directly to the hearts of Missouriās school social workers. Our profession has always existed at the crossroads of compassion, complexity, and constant changeāand lately, the public and political conversations surrounding who we are and what we do can feel loud, distracting, and at times disorienting. When outside voices try to define our worth or reshape our narrative, itās easy to feel pulled off center.
So this winter, I want to invite you to do something radical in its simplicity: DANCE.
Dance is more than movement. It is medicine. It is an act of reclaiming your joy. It is a grounding, healing form of self-therapy that reconnects you with your body, your breath, your rhythm, and your truth. When we dance, we momentarily step outside the noise and step into a space where we can remember who we areābeyond titles, debates, and labels.
Let the music choose you.
If gospel restores your soulādance.
If gangster rap unlocks your confidenceādance.
If country feels like homeādance.
If pop lifts your spiritādance.
If classical gives your mind room to breatheādance.
If soul, blues, rock, or heavy metal helps you release the weight youāve been carryingāDANCE.
Give yourself permission to escape, even if only for a few minutes at a time. Let your inner child take the leadāthe child who didnāt worry about politics or headlines or public opinion, the child who knew the freedom of simply moving because it felt good. In that moment, you arenāt a job title. You arenāt a target of public discourse. Youāre a human being with rhythm in your bones and a story that deserves to be felt.
This season, allow yourself to bask in your own narrative.
Let the music drown out what doesnāt serve you.
Let joy remind you of your strength.
Let movement carry you back to yourself.
Just danceāand enjoy the moment.
With warmth, pride, and solidarity,
-Ebony (President)
