break open

It has been a heavy week, month, year in the United States as gun violence takes more and more lives. We've gone far too long down this spiral of protecting interpretations of second amendment rights over the lives of our children, elders, community members. I continue to donate to Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety, with the hope that they are able to fight the powerful gun lobbies. We cannot stay silent. We cannot let our hearts be unbroken.

Mary Oliver wrote the poem “Lead” about environmental devastation at a local level. But I have no doubt she’d be okay with me using these words for this context.

reminded me of you

Found some inspiring writing on Instagram and distilled a bit of it. Tell someone if they remind you or you are reminded of them - it might make their day.

Curious

I’m proud to work for a company that hosts an annual Days of Understanding, attempting to bring together our varied and dispersed workforce into conversation around diversity, equity, and inclusion. This year it kicked off with a guest speaker, Paul Martin, Chief Digital Officer at Sony Pictures. He was able to talk to us from his 20+ years in the DEI space about lessons he’s learned along the way. But one quote of his struck me. He said, “You have to more curious than you are certain.” He then described an exercise where you hold up a dollar bill between you and another person and ask them to describe what they see on it. They will either describe a pyramid or a face, but regardless you will see the opposite. Paul said:

Often times there isn’t a right and wrong, just a perspective you can’t see.

And how right he is, whether we are talking about someone experiencing prejudice or bias, or our feelings about masks on public transit. We need to stay curious, stay learning, stay uncomfortable in our journey to understanding.

Disconnect / Reconnect

Like many folks, this year for spring break we took the trip we’d planned to take in 2020. We were a bit rusty traveling as a family (but very excited that now the kiddos are responsible for their own luggage, and we didn’t have any “kid gear” with us). My goal for the trip was to actually turn-off work and be present for my family. Too often my kids will ask for help with something and follow it with “unless you have to work”…or now my 10 year old has begun making my tea in the morning because too many mornings he won’t see me before school unless he brings it to me in my office…too many nights I spend with my laptop instead of my spouse.

But largely this trip, I was able to unplug. There were a couple times I needed to check in, and a budgeting call I couldn’t miss, but for 5 working days away I think I did a pretty good job of tuning out distractions and tuning into those who mean the most to me.

To commemorate and remember, I made a video of our time. I’m hoping it continues to remind me of my real priorities.

IWD 2022

Happy International Women's Day!

Those who seek

May we always be seeking.

Quote by French author Andre Gide.

2021 Recommended Reading

Following my yearly tradition (and inspired by President Obama), I’m recording the books I’d most recommend that I read this year. I covered a lot of ground, with 30 books read (technically 30.5 - not going to finish that last one before midnight). I enjoyed reading a lot of fiction with my 4th grader, though none of them made this list.
As with the prior year, I fell in deep to some poetry. Both the bite-size snippets and my mindset allowed me to really enjoy it. I also appreciated essays and works with discrete parts - I read very few large tomes that I truly enjoyed.
All of my recommended authors are women, though I hadn’t set out for it to be that way, I’m unsurprised that’s how it ended up.
My bookshelf for 2022 is already filling up, and I’m so excited to take it on.
(See past years - 2020, 2019, 2018)

Narrowed down

bell hooks will forever be an inspiration. Rest In Power.

Imagine

I like to think of Ursula K Le Guin as my virtual mentor.

thankful 2021

I completely respect those who abstain from the Thanksgiving holiday out of defiance to colonial capitalism that upholds white supremacy. Instead of a protest altogether, we partake in a harvest feast to give thanks for our blessings and the land we live on, as native communities have done from time immemorial.

Our family always writes out what we are thankful for, to take the time and acknowledge our blessings and our privilege. We also donate to native organizations like Chi-Nations Youth Council, working to create a safe space for native youth in the city, and DigDeep, which aims to bring water to every person in the US (as natives living on reservations arethe population to most likely not have access to running water in their homes).

May you all have a bountiful harvest.

Believe

I love Ted Lasso.

Feeling my way

I’ve been realizing more lately that I don’t immediately have all the answers. Many folks look to me, in my professional and my personal life, for advice or a recommendation - knowing that I’m the type of person who is well-read and does my research on any decision I’ve needed to make in the past. I’m also strong-willed and opinionated, so if you ask me a question it is unlikely you won’t get some sort of answer.

But lately I’m trying to take that learning and research pace a bit slower - process more of the information. Most decisions are not urgent, and so many of them these days (looking at you, covid-risk-analysis) involve more gut-feelings than before. Where I might have made entirely data-backed conclusions previously, I’m factoring in my own anxiety or mental health more. I continue to learn, about the world, and myself. I’m feeling my way through it.