As superintendents, most of them have experienced meetings in which they were able to hear the angry crowd, listen deeply to it, and bring people together. In this article, the author shares how she copes with difficult meetings. Through the years, the author has learned that it takes hard work, the kind of ongoing lifetime work that involves getting to know herself, learning to care for herself, and developing the resources that help her be whole in difficult situations. When angry parents call, lawsuits are filed, newspaper reporters are at her door or she is faced with a tough teacher dismissal, the author is reminded to seek the resources that help her be there fully. The resources may be a poem, a certain song, a reading from noted spiritual writer Thomas Merton, or a phone call to a dear, wise friend.