Well, hello, September, the unofficial end of summer…

As the temps dip and fall creeps in, I am hoping summertime lingers a little longer. Though I am excited about the year moving forward into fall + the holiday season, I’m sad to bid farewell to a summer that stood still—in a good way (most days). One when we watched sunsets by the ocean, went on family bedtime walks, played at home, enjoyed dinners on our deck, vacationed in the mountains, and lived in each other’s presence every single day. 

Cheers to a summer of enjoying the outdoors and fresh air, of being grateful for breathing, of wearing a bikini even 15-20 pounds heavier, of letting the ocean wash away my anxieties and worries—if even momentarily, of living and let live my kids who spent months prior cooped up away from the world. 

We might not have hopped on any planes or vacationed far away as I’d originally hoped but it’s okay. This summer, we spent it healthy and together—and that’s what matters most anyway. 

I’m not sure what fall will look like (I can only hope we won’t have to quarantine again) so I am grateful for every bit of summer fun we’ve had.

“𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘢!”⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
They call out for me. I am their home base, their sounding board, their protector.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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“𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘢!”⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
George Floyd cried out to her, for her. But she couldn’t protect him from being murdered by those sworn to protect. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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As a mother, I am heartbroken. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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As a human, I am devastated. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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As the daughter of a police officer and as a former prosecutor who worked alongside POs, I know very well the roles & responsibilities those jobs entail.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I also know those and all institutions can 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 be as “good” as their weakest links.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣
I know how unjust the criminal “justice” system can be.⁣
I know how institutions meant to uphold & protect American “values” were created to benefit White Americans, & fail every single day to help communities of color.⁣
I know that in this country and across the world, resources are not shared, but hoarded by the privileged & spread thin among those in need.⁣
I 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 peace is possible—if those in power fully acknowledge the problem; hold themselves & institutions accountable; & implement fundamental, sustaining racial justice change.⁣
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White lives and⁣ “Blue” lives can not continue to matter more than Black Lives Matter.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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• Black mamas are suffering from maternal mortality rates 2-3x higher.⁣*
• Black men are 2.5x more likely to be killed by police, 3x more likely to be searched at a traffic stop, & 6x more likely to go jail than a white person.⁣*
• Black children are 3x more likely to be suspended, 18x more likely to be sentenced as adults, and make up nearly 60% of children in prisons.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣*
• Black families’ median net worth is just $28.5K as compared to $265K, the median net worth of white families.* 
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Someone dear to me recently told me, “It was when I became a mother that I was the most deeply radicalized.”⁣⁣
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And I felt it to my core. Motherhood has changed me fundamentally in many ways, while also amplifying my beliefs and cementing my ideals. ⁣⁣
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Motherhood has gently nudged me into the practices of radical empathy and radical compassion. And it has reminded me that conscious parenting and antiracism are practices, too—ones that must be modeled everyday because our kids are listening to us … our kids are watching us … our kids are modeling us. All of our kids are, and not just now—always.
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As we begin a new week + some people move on from the initial shock of the last couple weeks, I just wanted to remind us all to continue weaving these practices into our everyday lives, practices too important to ever stop. ⁣⁣

My heart is heavy, but my hope in humanity remains. It’s the only way I can believe that violence will end & the change will come. 
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Now is our time to use our privilege for good.⁣ Speak up, rise up & demand REAL change.⁣
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“𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘎𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴.”-𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯⁣

*Source: US News