Jeeeeeesus, help me and happy Friday.
How was your week? Mine was full of self-realization, which I see as progress and not f-ups. Fridays are for looking back, seeing what we didn’t get right, taking inventory, forgiving mistakes, and 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙. 😒 I have put off two phone calls because phone calls are gross. These calls are dumb, routine things and I’ve had a thousand and one opportunities to get them over with. Procrastination at its best! 😐 The boys have no clean clothes and are wearing bathing suits as shorts. 😶 My phone time has been up this week (in case you haven’t noticed 😬), which means my head has been down, focused on the screen, not seeing what’s around me including the people I love, while trying to do important work. 😩 I haven’t walked or gone for runs enough this week. This is a way I de-stress. I need it so I don’t become ANGRY-RESENTFUL-SELF-PITYING MOM. I know this about myself and I’ve ignored it because (1) I’m tired (2) I convinced myself I couldn’t fit it in my day (3) I decided other things/people were more important. Basically, all 3 of those things are 𝘽𝙄𝙂 𝙁𝘼𝙏 𝙀𝙓𝘾𝙐𝙎𝙀𝙎.
So, I’ve shared. I’m not holding on to what I got wrong this week. What are you holding on to? How can I support your growth through failures? 💙
PARENTS OF WHITE KIDS: it might surprise you to learn that I am NOT struggling with what to say to my kids. They are seven and nine-year-old white, upper-middle-class, Christian family boys.
We tell them the truth. We say the names. We show them their privilege. We vow to do better for them and for all children. We don’t have these conversations once, not twice, but continuously. We act so they can see what is possible. We remind them who they are, what they have, what they’re capable of, and how they can help.
And I can see it. I can see them thinking, even when I don’t think they’ve heard us.
I can guarantee they will never look at a bag of Skittles the same way again.
#blacklivesmatter @milesjustind
“I’m just overwhelmed.” ⏰I’m writing this while making sloppy joes and complimenting my son’s LEGO creation. There’s a lot going on. A lot we need to be aware of, pay attention to, direct our efforts toward. If you’re the type to wonder how to do it all, consider this:
Outside of being the right thing to do, what if caring about, providing support for, lending our voices and time and safety and money to the rights of Black people were connected to being a good parent, spouse, spiritual being? What if supporting others (specifically Blacks) in the workspace, in your neighborhood, at school, online, etc., meant that you were showing up for your kids, encouraging your spouse and loved ones to grow in light, opening yourself to caring about someone other than yourself?
What if you let Black lives matter as much as your own?
What do you think will be affected?
Supporting (and by supporting I really mean not murdering and helping to reshape society away from white privilege with the understanding that it —white privilege—was built on the backs of Black people) Black people is connected to education, real estate, healthcare, taxes, immigration, mental health, entrepreneurship, small businesses, marketing, media, entertainment, sports, veteran’s affairs, retirement, domestic violence, sex trafficking, food insecurity, substance abuse, etc.
I know there are a lot of issues to focus on and get behind, but I can assure you that prioritizing the lives of Black people will not take your efforts from those issues, it will help you dive even deeper.
Want to be a good parent? Support Black people.
Want to stop global warming? Support Black people.
Worried for homeless veterans? Support Black people.
Tired of political corruption? Support Black people.
And on and on... #blacklivesmatter
