Hope and Toxic Positivity

I’ve been a pretty optimistic person for most of my life, but I’d say it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve learned what it looks like to be genuinely hopeful.
⁣
And that only really started when I went through some of my hardest times.
⁣
During the early days of the pandemic, I was a bit surprised to find that the messages that bothered me the most were the overly cheery ones. Telling people “everything’s going to be okay,” seemed cruel while thousands of families were losing loved ones. When the righteous anger and grief propelled many to protest racism, many calls for “peace and unity” often seemed to stand in the way of authentic peace and unity. When toxic positivity encounters human suffering, it’s basically telling somebody that you don’t see their hurt.
⁣
I think one of the reasons this particularly bugs me is that for a long time, I’ve tended to be guilty of it. And when somebody shares with me a hard thing, I have to make a conscious effort to not go there. One of my more Enneagram 7ish things is being able to find the silver lining in everything.

I like how Natalie Detillo described excess positivity in the Washington Post yesterday. “Think of it as having a few too many scoops of ice cream. It’s really good and it makes us feel better, but you can overdo it and it makes us sick.”
⁣
Or it’s like trying to shove ice cream into somebody’s face when they don’t feel like having ice cream. That’s not really going to make them feel better.
⁣
A screenplay with 100% happy scenes would make for a terrible movie.
⁣
Toxic positivity dulls the vibrancy of the full human experience.
⁣
Nothing heals that isn’t grieved.
⁣
I am fiercely committed to hope. But I can assure you that you won’t find the real thing if you make it a habit of looking away from tragedy, injustice, or heartbreak.

Really Value Life

Life to the fullest. By coming fully alive, we also help bring life to others. That’s the pursuit I keep waking up for.
⁣
And also... some big thoughts this AM.
⁣
Nearly six months deep into a quarantine, it’s easy for a lot of us to forget why we’re doing this. I’ve heard from a number of friends in just the past week or two about how they couldn’t keep going with all the restrictions, the distancing, the masks, the cancellations, that this moment has placed upon us. “Aren’t we all probably going to get this disease anyways?” one friend asks. “And aren’t we all going to die at some point anyways? Why are we so scared?”
⁣
That idea contained both a lot of truth and a lot of problems- my biggest issue being that our precautions aren’t just for our own safety, but the safety and protection of others. It’s not just a matter of how much do we want to preserve our own lives (though please, do!) but wanting to value and protect the lives of others.
⁣
One of the things he was right about, though, was that we don’t consider our own mortality enough.

Around the age of 15 or so, it was something I became intensely aware of. Not just the existence of death, but the potential it had to make everything else I ever did inconsequential. Those thoughts sparked the longest spiritual journey towards God, love, purpose, and justice, and I think that journey has no end. I’m not a morbid person, but I think recognizing our own mortality can be the start of really living.
⁣
Some of us have had to live in closer proximity with death, maybe because of the place we were born into, the body we were born with, or the tragedies that met us on our way. That proximity makes you realize we often don’t value life enough.
⁣
You can undervalue life by letting self-preservation paralyze you, and you can undervalue life by being too flippant about its sacredness and fragility.
⁣
We don’t have to fear death, but we certainly don’t need to become its ally or assistant. When we respect the limited time we get in this life, we can better honor its sacredness. When we honor the sacredness of life, we realize the value of every single day.

Did Global Poverty reset by 30 years?

I heard the pretty concerning projection that the pandemic is likely to set back global poverty levels by 30 years.
⁣
📆📆📆
⁣
Not enough of us pay attention to the steady progress we’ve made against global poverty in the past few decades, and while too much of it persists, I’ve found the trajectory to be pretty encouraging. But are we at risk of losing that?
⁣
I decided to dig into some of the projections to create this slider for @plantwpurpose this week- there are reasons to be concerned, especially for the most vulnerable, but there are a lot of things we’ve learned to help keep a robust recovery within reach.
⁣
🌐🌐🌐
⁣
Thankful to be part of the team that has spent nearly 40 years fighting global poverty in such a sustainable, community-led fashion. Imagine if the number of people living in poverty in your area dropped by 2/3rds? That’s what we’ve seen in places like Haiti, the Congo, and Tanzania.

On Crucial Conversations

I’m happy my video post from yesterday on having crucial conversations about things that matter seemed to be pretty helpful for a number of you! Here are a few more ideas about having crucial conversations that I’ve found really helpful:
⁣
Learning how to gauge somebody’s motivations for engaging you in a conversation can help you decide what approach to take. Do they enjoy debate for debate’s sake? Are they genuinely curious in how you see the world differently?
🔰
The people who are most likely to change our minds are the ones we agree with on 98 percent of topics.
🔰
Whenever you find yourself agreeing with the other person, or them agreeing with you, point it out and repeat that point of agreement. Establishing common ground gives a conversation direction.
🔰
According to James Clear, “the number of people who believe an idea is directly proportional to the number of times it has been repeated during the last year—even if the idea is false.” The takeaway? Most harmful statements don’t need your signal boost.
🔰
Productive conversations feel less like a debate and more like a collaborative search for a solution. That’s why that common ground is so important.
🔰
When you run into a buzzword like “sustainable” or “systemic racism” it’s often helpful to ask the other person how they use and understand these terms.
🔰
Approach conversations with a beginner’s mind. Invite explanations of the other person’s understanding, and point out when you just don’t get it. Rephrase their position in your own words, being open about what you agree with, what you don’t, and what you simply don’t understand.
⁣
Two of the most helpful resources I’ve found on this topic are:
📘 The book How to Have Impossible Conversations by Peter Boghossian and James A. Lindsay
📰 The article “Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds” by James Clear (this one’s easy to Google!)

Keep Having Crucial Conversations

Keep having crucial conversations about race

Having important conversations about race takes a TON of patience. Especially when your conversations don’t seem to be getting anywhere or when the person your talking to just seems flat out resistant.

That’s why I made this video with hopefully helpful reminders.

🔻🔺🔻

Facts do a miserable job at changing people’s beliefs. Relationships matter more.

That’s why it’s valuable to have these conversations in the context of relationship. I mean, stand up against racism wherever you see it, but my relationships with other people have set my approach, my expectations, and my focus for doing the work.

🔺🔻🔺

All of us have relationships with people who might not be open to paying attention to 13th or reading Ibram X. Kendi, but who would have a conversation with us. That gives each of us a unique and important role to play.

Nine Months of Rhys

Nine Months! Rhys just crossed the break-even point – that benchmark where he’s spent more time out of the womb than inside.
⁣
🕷
⁣
Parenting during a pandemic is full of so many curveballs. I usually drop Rhys off at my mom’s while working, but last week my stepdad just got back from a trip to Baltimore and they weren’t able to get their COVID test results right away. That meant a five day work-week of trying to look after Rhys while cranking out projects. I took more than a couple meetings with him trying to nap in my arms or crawling around my feet.
⁣
🕸🕸🕸

It might sound like I’m patting myself on the back, and… I totally am. Last week was a handful! But I’m glad we went through it, and we had some good times too.
⁣
This was both one of the most fun and tiring months from the #worldofrhys. So much of his personality is coming into focus, and it’s… a lot of what we would have expected from combining DNA from the two of us. High-energy, curious, and determined.
⁣
🌳 It’s super obvious that Rhys loves the outdoors. Trees. Grass. The ocean.
🚶🏾‍♂️He keeps teasing us like he’s about to take his first step.
😬 He’s also got two bottom teeth now through.
🐕 He and Beignet are BUDS.
⁣
Also… he’s outgrown a lot of clothes. We’re gonna have to restock on costumes soon.

Beirut, Zimbabwe, and "Save the World" Katty

There’s like... a lot of stuff going on around the world, huh?
⁣
Drawing has increasingly become one of the ways I process stuff, and I’m so thankful I have that tool. Here are three things going on far from home that hit close to home:

🇱🇧
⁣
By now you probably know about the Beirut explosion. It’s apparently the second largest urban explosion, after Hiroshima/Nagasaki. What makes the immediate catastrophe even worse is the fact that most of Lebanon’s wheat and food supply was lost in the explosion, and between COVID and the blast, Beirut’s hospitals are completely overwhelmed.

🇰🇵
⁣
I learned from my @libertyinnorthkorea family about the loss of an amazing person, who I never got to meet, but who I feel acquainted with through her amazing work- helping 800+ North Korean refugees find freedom. Katty is a great reminder that no matter how overwhelming things can seem, there are lots of quiet, unnoticed helpers all around.

🇿🇼
⁣
Then there’s Zimbabwe. What’s happening there is complex but familiar. An authoritarian regime clamping down on its own people through police brutality. A staggering loss of jobs, food, and health during the pandemic. A corrupt regime using the pandemic to excuse its overreach. No country is immune to this, unfortunately.
⁣
🌐
⁣
Look. Paul the Apostle was once like, “don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good,” then Desmond Tutu pulled up and he was all like, “keep doing simple acts of good. They’re the ones that overwhelm the world.”
⁣
One of those simple acts of good sitting in front of us right now is finding the helpers already at work and giving them a hand.

Joy-Filled Justice

At the start of this year, I said that one of my biggest goals was to relearn how to enjoy the process and to make working on my goals feel more like play.
⁣
Of course, at the time I was thinking of things like editing videos, writing scripts, and producing a podcast. Now I realize the “work” I have cut out for me also includes things like keeping my family safe and healthy during a pandemic, inciting people towards a more inclusive notion of sustainability, or confronting racist ideas in any place where I have some influence.
⁣
It’s serious stuff. And yet, the value of enjoying the process and making the pursuit feel like play is still relevant.
⁣
🦔🦔🦔
⁣
Deep down, I’m a pretty lighthearted person. Sometimes that feels at odds with the seriousness of the stuff that surrounds me. And I wonder what my role is, as somebody who wishes cartoon physics were real and eats more Pop Tarts than anyone my age should.
⁣
Then I hear old interviews with Desmond Tutu, and how he couldn’t seem to get through many with his signature chuckle. Giggle, more accurately. I see the clips of John Lewis busting a move on the floor of Congress, or the crowd swaying in the movie theatre during the credits of Black Panther. Progress can feel like a party.
⁣
🍁
⁣
On a recent episode of Truths Table podcast- I remember a key point being that a function of oppression is that it limits and suppresses our imagination. Deray Mckesson says that imagination allows us to navigate between faith and hope to make things better. Imagination takes play.
⁣
⚡️
⁣
Joy and Justice are more closely related than people usually realize. And I believe the authentic pursuit of one leads you towards the pursuit of the other.
⁣
How do you integrate Joy and Justice? It takes a while to learn, but you do yourself a big favor when you surround yourself with people who seem to live at their crossroads. Take your work seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously. Stay curious. Relearn how to play.

August 2020

#214 Pomegranate Green Tea Sake

01 August 2020 // San Diego, California

Whoever it was that Tweeted 2020 has some serious series finale vibes might’ve scored with the most accurate tweet of the year.

While the days seem to be an endless cycle of the same, it world at large seems to be imbued with a lot of suspense. Uncertainty about what happens next. Reasons to be worried. Reasons to be hopeful.

One of my big goals from this year was to focus less on the finished product and to worry about enjoying the process. Maybe this is a taller test of that than I ever could’ve anticipated. We’re writing a story that will be retold many, many years from now.

In spite of the restlessness. In spite of the discomfort. It’s time to be honed in on what’s right in front of us.

#215 The Masked Mama

02 August 2020 // San Diego, California

At the start of this year, I said that one of my biggest goals was to relearn how to enjoy the process and to make working on my goals feel more like play.⁣

Of course, at the time I was thinking of things like editing videos, writing scripts, and producing a podcast. Now I realize the “work” I have cut out for me also includes things like keeping my family safe and healthy during a pandemic, inciting people towards a more inclusive notion of sustainability, or confronting racist ideas in any place where I have some influence.

It’s serious stuff. And yet, the value of enjoying the process and making the pursuit feel like play is still relevant.

🦔🦔🦔⁣

Deep down, I’m a pretty lighthearted person. Sometimes that feels at odds with the seriousness of the stuff that surrounds me. And I wonder what my role is, as somebody who wishes cartoon physics were real and eats more Pop Tarts than anyone my age should.⁣

Then I hear old interviews with Desmond Tutu, and how he couldn’t seem to get through many with his signature chuckle. Giggle, more accurately. I see the clips of John Lewis busting a move on the floor of Congress, or the crowd swaying in the movie theatre during the credits of Black Panther. Progress can feel like a party.

🍁

⁣On a recent episode of @truthstable podcast- I remember a key point being that a function of oppression is that it limits and suppresses our imagination. @iamderay says that imagination allows us to navigate between faith and hope to make things better. Imagination takes play.

⚡️

Joy and Justice are more closely related than people usually realize. And I believe the authentic pursuit of one leads you towards the pursuit of the other.

How do you integrate Joy and Justice? It takes a while to learn, but you do yourself a big favor when you surround yourself with people who seem to live at their crossroads. Take your work seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously. Stay curious. Relearn how to play.

#216 Park Recording

03 August 2020 // San Diego, California

Ambition has often been seen as the marker of success, or someone headed towards success.

That’s just not the case.

Wholeness is a much more meaningful and beautiful pursuit than the goal of ambition or success. Live life fully. Give life to everything you’re a part of.

#217 Loli’s Flowers

04 August 2020 // San Diego, California

What’s the brokest thing you’ve done in college?

Please tell me Daniel remembers working at a smoothie shop and me asking him to use his one-free-drink per shift on a smoothie, hold the smoothie, lots of extra matcha boost.

Best way I ever scored a free 16oz cup of matcha powder.

#218 It’s That Duo

05 August 2020 // San Diego, California

There’s like... a lot of stuff going on around the world, huh?⁣

Drawing has increasingly become one of the ways I process stuff, and I’m so thankful I have that tool. Here are three things going on far from home that hit close to home:⁣

🇱🇧

By now you probably know about the Beirut explosion. It’s apparently the second largest urban explosion, after Hiroshima/Nagasaki. What makes the immediate catastrophe even worse is the fact that most of Lebanon’s wheat and food supply was lost in the explosion, and between COVID and the blast, Beirut’s hospitals are completely overwhelmed.

🇰🇵⁣

I learned from my Liberty in North Korea family about the loss of an amazing person, who I never got to meet, but who I feel acquainted with through her amazing work- helping 800+ North Korean refugees find freedom. Katty is a great reminder that no matter how overwhelming things can seem, there are lots of quiet, unnoticed helpers all around.

🇿🇼⁣

Then there’s Zimbabwe. What’s happening there is complex but familiar. An authoritarian regime clamping down on its own people through police brutality. A staggering loss of jobs, food, and health during the pandemic. A corrupt regime using the pandemic to excuse its overreach. No country is immune to this, unfortunately.

🌐

Look. Paul the Apostle was once like, “don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good,” then Desmond Tutu pulled up and he was all like, “keep doing simple acts of good. They’re the ones that overwhelm the world.”⁣

One of those simple acts of good sitting in front of us right now is finding the helpers already at work and giving them a hand.

#219 The World From Lola’s

06 August 2020 // San Diego, California

Don’t get tired of doing good.

In the words of John Wesley, ““Do all the good you can, whenever you can, wherever you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”

In the words of the Apostle Paul, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

During times of hardship, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and to feel exhausted, especially when the end of a difficult season seems nowhere in sight. 

So many of our friends in our partner countries know the feeling. Natural disasters, economic instability, and now a pandemic have presented one obstacle after another. And yet, they’ve shown us what it looks like to keep doing the next right thing, whether it’s planting another tree, practicing compassion and caution during a public health crisis, or pulling community resources together to help a family that has been devastated.

Those small acts of good add up to an abundant harvest. And they create a path towards joy in the midst of difficulty.

#220 La Virgen

07 August 2020 // San Diego, California

Away with your noisy hymns of praise, I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead I want to see a flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. (Amos 5:23-24)

This sign was in response to a street “revival” in Portland.

But I don’t think you can just gather a bunch of people to sing and feel good, then slap the word revival on it. Nothing wrong with prayer and singing, of course, but there’s a world of difference between praying FOR revival and labeling whatever you’re doing as one.

Revive means “brought back to life.” It means a widespread change of heart that turns the ways of disease, injustice, and oppression upside down.

If that hasn’t been done, and yet you pat yourself on the back for bringing revival in front of the most vulnerable in their suffering, you’ve done nothing but show contempt for their Maker.

#221 Juniper Trailhead

08 August 2020 // San Diego, California

Living in SD but being a committed Phillies fan makes me feel like I gotta disclaimer everything to not seem like a bandwagoner jumping on the Padres after decades of patience from their true fan base but...

Tatis.

Fernando Tatis Jr. is really good.

Fernando Tatis Jr. is the most exciting player in baseball right now.

Best comp I can think of is a real young A-Rod in Seattle.

#222 Peach Mango Pie

09 August 2020 // San Diego, California

Once again, James Clear delivered a post that provided so much clarity.

"A few things you need to achieve exceptional results:

1) Quantity: You take lots of shots.
2) Quality: You take thoughtful shots.
3) Consistency: You keep shooting for a long time.
4) Feedback. You take better shots over time.
5) Luck: You get a few favorable bounces."

In my work, I think that’s so relevant.

1) Create everyday.
2) Create mindfully.
3) Push through the bad days.
4) Seek out constructive advice, and pay attention to what works.
5) Every now and then, something will just land in the right spot.

#223 Strolling on Baseball Dirt

10 August 2020 // San Diego, California

Keep having crucial conversations about race

Having important conversations about race takes a TON of patience. Especially when your conversations don’t seem to be getting anywhere or when the person your talking to just seems flat out resistant.

🔻🔺🔻

Facts do a miserable job at changing people’s beliefs. Relationships matter more.

That’s why it’s valuable to have these conversations in the context of relationship. I mean, stand up against racism wherever you see it, but my relationships with other people have set my approach, my expectations, and my focus for doing the work.

🔺🔻🔺

All of us have relationships with people who might not be open to paying attention to 13th or reading Ibram X. Kendi, but who would have a conversation with us. That gives each of us a unique and important role to play.

#224 Reading

11 August 2020 // San Diego, California

I remember visiting a restaurant that broke down its menu items by explaining where every cent of its price would go. How much of the price pays for the ingredients, how much is used to compensate the staff for their labor, how much goes towards overhead, and how much is actual profit.

It’s pretty amazing, and helps us understand things- like how much it costs to have better ingredients. Or how little the people who prepare our foods actually make.

I love transparency in pricing and would love it if all kinds of industries tried it out. I want tags on clothes to break this down. The packaging on electronics. Even the donate buttons on nonprofits and churches websites.

It would also be a bit of a stark reminder of who or what we actually value.

#225 The Turtle Pond

12 August 2020 // San Diego, California

The best approach to environmental restoration isn’t one-size-fits-all. Context matters!

Efforts to transform individual lives without considering the broader context in which people live are often ineffective, and can even be harmful. That’s why loving our neighbor is also an invitation to understand the ecosystems, the economic systems, the political systems, and the cultures in which they live.

How does this impact our efforts to do good?

🌐 It makes us commit to a constant learning process
🌐 It challenges us to re-examine our pride and to stay humble
🌐 It reminds us that the most effective work is led by locals, not outsiders
🌐 It reveals to us that all justice issues ultimately connect- from the environment to poverty to migration to race to trafficking.

In our work, we value the diversity of the communities we work with in eight countries across three continents. Over a dozen languages are spoken, and each place has its own unique history. Its why we won’t go anywhere without a local partner taking the lead.

#226 Plywood Virtual

13 August 2020 // San Diego, California

I heard the pretty concerning projection that the pandemic is likely to set back global poverty levels by 30 years.⁣

📆📆📆

Not enough of us pay attention to the steady progress we’ve made against global poverty in the past few decades, and while too much of it persists, I’ve found the trajectory to be pretty encouraging. But are we at risk of losing that?⁣

I decided to dig into some of the projections to create an infographic for Plant With Purpose this week- there are reasons to be concerned, especially for the most vulnerable, but there are a lot of things we’ve learned to help keep a robust recovery within reach.

🌐🌐🌐

Thankful to be part of the team that has spent nearly 40 years fighting global poverty in such a sustainable, community-led fashion. Imagine if the number of people living in poverty in your area dropped by 2/3rds? That’s what we’ve seen in places like Haiti, the Congo, and Tanzania.

#227 Wires and Alleyways

14 August 2020 // San Diego, California

Life to the fullest. By coming fully alive, we also help bring life to others. That’s the pursuit I keep waking up for.

Nearly six months deep into a quarantine, it’s easy for a lot of us to forget why we’re doing this. I’ve heard from a number of friends in just the past week or two about how they couldn’t keep going with all the restrictions, the distancing, the masks, the cancellations, that this moment has placed upon us. “Aren’t we all probably going to get this disease anyways?” one friend asks. “And aren’t we all going to die at some point anyways? Why are we so scared?”

That idea contained both a lot of truth and a lot of problems- my biggest issue being that our precautions aren’t just for our own safety, but the safety and protection of others. It’s not just a matter of how much do we want to preserve our own lives (though please, do!) but wanting to value and protect the lives of others.

One of the things he was right about, though, was that we don’t consider our own mortality enough.

Around the age of 15 or so, it was something I became intensely aware of. Not just the existence of death, but the potential it had to make everything else I ever did inconsequential. Those thoughts sparked the longest spiritual journey towards God, love, purpose, and justice, and I think that journey has no end. Recognizing our own mortality can be the start of really living. 

Some of us have had to live in closer proximity with death, maybe because of the place we were born into, the body we were born with, or the tragedies that met us on our way. That proximity makes you realize we often don’t value life enough.

You can undervalue life by letting self-preservation paralyze you, and you can undervalue life by being too flippant about its sacredness and fragility. 

We don’t have to fear death, but we certainly don’t need to become its ally or assistant. When we respect the limited time we get in this life, we can better honor its sacredness. When we honor the sacredness of life, we realize the value of every single day.

#228 Ivy’s Birthday Breakfast

15 August 2020 // San Diego, California

Brittany Packnett Cunningham recently gave 2016 nonvoters who plan to vote this year a space to explain why they didn’t four years ago, and the discussion turned surprisingly inspiring.

People’s responses were full of overcoming physical and mental health issues, housing struggles, apathy, and expressing a willingness to grow. Many were struggling with cancers, strokes, or hospitalizations and didn’t manage to vote. Others were stuck in a deeply depressed state. Some were honest in admitting that they didn’t feel their vote had an impact, or that they outcome couldn’t be what it was.

There was so much worth celebrating. For once, reading the comments was an actual GOOD idea.

#229 Sharetea

16 August 2020 // San Diego, California

So disappointed that Hassan Minhaj’s Patriot Act was cancelled by Netflix. Especially at a moment where we are becoming more aware of the need for diverse voices in understanding global events, and when we have a South Asian Veep nominee.

I dunno if Netflix gets why their sudden cancellations of good things at their peak is so frustrating, so let me explain it simply.

The issue is th

#230 Long Left Desk

17 August 2020 // San Diego, California

I’ve been a pretty optimistic person for most of my life, but I’d say it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve learned what it looks like to be genuinely hopeful.

And that only really started when I went through some of my hardest times.

During the early days of the pandemic, I was a bit surprised to find that the messages that bothered me the most were the overly cheery ones. Telling people “everything’s going to be okay,” seemed cruel while thousands of families were losing loved ones. When the righteous anger and grief propelled many to protest racism, many calls for “peace and unity” often seemed to stand in the way of authentic peace and unity. When toxic positivity encounters human suffering, it’s basically telling somebody that you don’t see their hurt.

I think one of the reasons this particularly bugs me is that for a long time, I’ve tended to be guilty of it. And when somebody shares with me a hard thing, I have to make a conscious effort to not go there. One of my more Enneagram 7ish things is being able to find the silver lining in everything.

I like how Natalie Detillo described excess positivity in the Washington Post yesterday. “Think of it as having a few too many scoops of ice cream. It’s really good and it makes us feel better, but you can overdo it and it makes us sick.”

Or it’s like trying to shove ice cream into somebody’s face when they don’t feel like having ice cream. That’s not really going to make them feel better.

A screenplay with 100% happy scenes would make for a terrible movie. 

Toxic positivity dulls the vibrancy of the full human experience. 

Nothing heals that isn’t grieved.

I am fiercely committed to hope. But I can assure you that you won’t find the real thing if you make it a habit of looking away from tragedy, injustice, or heartbreak.

#231 Jude’s Sticker

18 August 2020 // San Diego, California

A couple things Rhys and I are practicing:
Our Tagalog
Emotional intelligence

One of the biggest areas of growth for me has been learning how to pursue wholeness over happiness. Sometimes, my default reaction to disruptions is to rationalize my way towards happiness rather than making room for fear, anger, or grief.

I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time in cultures that are a little more accustomed to leaving space for these feelings, and I’ve noticed that this actually opens up the space for a richer, realer sense of joy. Some of us come from cultural backgrounds or spiritual communities that actively urge us to stay focused on the positive, but I’ve found it helpful to remember that we were given these unpleasant emotions for a reason.

FEAR - Fear keeps us safe. It alerts us to threats. Fear sometimes gets stigmatized because it sometimes gets in the way of our purpose. Sure, it isn’t always in tune with reality, and shouldn’t be the final decision-maker. We have the ability to experience fear because our lives are sacred, and worth protecting. We also develop a concern over others’ safety as we grow to love other people.

ANGER - Anger exists because justice exists. We feel angry when our sense of justice has been violated, whether that’s somebody cutting us off and invading our space, or something bigger like trafficking or racism. Our sense of justice isn’t the same as what’s actually right and wrong, which is why you sometimes see outrage over pretty silly things, but it does reveal to us that justice exists and we all have the capacity to understand it. Google “anger quotes” and you’ll find so many that speak of anger in a negative way. Without control, it can create a lot of destruction, but in the right place, it’s a valuable and essential part of the healing process.

SADNESS - Sadness exists because there are sacred and valuable things. Sadness accompanies a loss or an absence, and it reminds us that what’s missing has value, whether that’s a relationship, the security that came with a relationship, the expectation of a certain kind of future, health, a loved one, a season of life, etc.

If God didn’t want us getting sad, angry, or concerned, he wouldn’t have given us that capacity in the first place! Instead, I think it’s helpful to explore what each of these emotions are there for. And we could probably keep going! We can feel guilt because we have an inner motivation to do what’s right. We can feel embarrassment because everybody has dignity. And so on.

#232 Neighboring Condos

19 August 2020 // San Diego, California

One thing that I think leads to an aversion towards recognizing our emotions- especially ones like anger or fear, is a sense of caution against being controlled by our emotions.

Yeahhhhh sometimes our own perception of justice, or of what’s a threat, can be misguided or incorrect. But it does mean we have an inner mechanism for recognizing and responding to justice, dignity, sacredness, safety, etc.

And I think that’s honestly pretty much amazing.

There are definitely people who need to better understand the importance of keeping our emotions in check and not letting them get the better of us. That said, one of the easiest ways to be controlled by your emotions is to be asleep to them, or being afraid to acknowledge them as they come.

#233 Masaya Ako

20 August 2020 // San Diego, California

The best thing I saw online all week was cellphone footage of a construction worker shoveling dirt in front of a school. Children on the other side of the fence yell “YAY!” every time dirt is moved.

I truly want to be a lot more like those kids.

#234 Makeshift Toy Box

21 August 2020 // San Diego, California

During some natural disasters, it’s easy to overlook some vulnerable populations that are affected in ways we don’t think about.

On August 10, 2020, a swift, inland hurricane, known as a derecho swept through the midwest; 700 miles across Iowa, Nebraska, and Indiana were hit.

The state of Iowa lost 40% of its corn and soybean crop- the key product of its economy. The city hit hardest was Cedar Rapids, with over 140 buildings being declared unsafe.

Immigrants accounted for 47.1 percent of total population growth in Cedar Rapids in recent years. The hub has resettled many refugees from the Congo, Burundi, Burma, and other places.

Many refugees in low-income housing complexes are now having to deal with sudden homelessness as a result.

Outside of many housing complexes built for refugees, organizations and community leaders have set up tents and gathering areas. The community support have been valuable, but COVID continues to also be a concern.

Meanwhile, multiple areas across Northern and Central California are on fire as wildfires threaten forest spaces and create hazardous air.

California continues its practice of enlisting the support of prison inmates as emergency firefighters.

Some prisoners do enjoy the opportunity to help, but the work is hazardous and the pay is often as low as $3-$5 per hour.

The modern policing and prison system in the US was built as an extension of slavery, where the unpaid work of prisoners could replace the emancipated labor force after chatel slavery.

After release, most incarcerated firefighters are unable to work for fire departments because of their criminal record, in spite of their experience.

#235 North Park Shade

22 August 2020 // San Diego, California

A lot of my friends say, “I can’t do Twitter. Just a lot of people arguing and being mean and it gives me anxiety.”

A good chunk of my newsfeed looks like people retweeting a letterboard sign at a Dunkin Donuts saying UH OH SPICY! PUMPKIN! HAHAHA PUMPKIN TASTY

#236 Wooded Walk in La Jolla

23 August 2020 // La Jolla, California

Belarus is perhaps the least democratic country in Europe. Its president, Alexander Lukashenko has often been called the continent’s last dictator.

On August 9, 2020, he declared himself the winner of an election with widespread reports of fraud. His opponent, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya left the country for fear of her family’s safety.

Protestors have taken to the streets in her support, to be met with heavy handed opposition and a violent crackdown. The government released an information blackout, blocking internet use.

The president’s chauvinistic behavior and statements like “our constitution is not for women” has brought women to the forefront of protests against his regime’s violence.

Many prominent military officers and police officials have turned away from the president and shown support for the opposition.

#237 Kid of Color

24 August 2020 // San Diego, California

This summer, I’ve had more conversations about racial injustice than ever. I’ve had so many people tell me that they thought things had gotten better, and that the world would be much better by the time my kid of color grows up. Especially for the kids of darker colors.

I have hope. And hope tells us that things CAN be better. But will they? Nothing changes if nothing changes.

This week, Jacob Blake tried to break up a fight unarmed. After seven shots to the back from police officers, he now fights for his life. His kids of color watched. His dad got on the news to share that his kid of color was now paralyzed from the waist down.

Our hope can only be as deep as our lament.

I believe that the hunger for change is real. And that hope is real. But it’s going to take more than a short spurt of self-education and symbolic gestures to stop this from happening.

We need to learn how to have a big enough imagination to dream up new systems.

We need to learn to rise to every opportunity to confront harmful ideas and beliefs.

We need to learn to accept the blessing of anger towards injustice and oppression.

We need to learn the difference between calling for peace versus calling for passivity.

It’s not a one time call to action. It’s a lifelong commitment.

Praying for Jacob Blake to pull through and to tell his story. Praying that the story moves us from comfort to change.

#238 Mexican Mule

25 August 2020 // San Diego, California

I was reading an article about how Trevor Noah shifted The Daily Show once the coronavirus lockdowns began. He’s still capable of being funny, but I doubt I would still call his show a comedy talk show. Instead it’s been full of insightful monologues, well timed challenges, and most importantly, honesty.

One thing he said in particular stood out to me.

“No rules. It’ll be what it needs to be on the day.”

That resonates so much with me and how my work has felt lately. Day job. Dad life. Creative pursuits. Everything.

The Daily Show is getting more viewers than ever right now. Like Trevor, I’ve found this approach surprisingly fruitful.

#239 Rhys in Office

26 August 2020 // San Diego, California

The MLB, MLS, NHL, NCAA, & NFL could learn a lot about when and how to let the game take a backseat to more important things by watching the NBA...

And the NBA could keep growing by taking notes from the WNBA.

The Lakers and Clippers have voted to boycott the NBA season. Most other teams voted to continue. LeBron James exited the meeting.

The LA teams were this season's favorites. Another ring would do quite a good deal of favor for LeBron in the GOAT conversation. This is not a light gesture.

#240 A Working Fridge

27 August 2020 // San Diego, California

One theme I’m observing more and more, is that with every story that captures headlines, there is almost always a group of people deeply ingrained in the story who get very little attention relative to how heavily they’re impacted by the events.

Want some examples? Parents of special needs children while classrooms are remote during COVID-19. Rural Ethiopian pastoralists during a climate crisis. Chefs preserving traditional Syrian recipes while the country that used to host these traditional meals collapses.

Just to name a few.

I happen to think the very best podcasts are really good at framing their stories this way. NPR’s Code Switch, the old show Undone by Gimlet, NPR’s Rough Translation, Radiolab to name a few… the latter did a pretty good exploration recently into how the Spanish Flu impacted places like India- often overlooked when we think back to the last worldwide pandemic.

How do you uncover stories like this? Always ask who isn’t in the picture. Landscape-shifting events have an impact that affects a mosaic of people. By going beyond the default portrayals of the people who are affected, we’ll find richer and more urgent stories where present happenings impact a mosaic of people groups.

#241 Chadwick

28 August 2020 // San Diego, California

Man this one is a tough blow.⁣

An artist is at his best when he inspires. And when you keep being given roles like Thurgood Marshall, James Brown, Jackie Robinson, and T’Challa... you know you’ve got hero material.

He knew he had something to give the world, just like the heroes he portrayed. And I’ll never forget the February night he gave us the sight of dashikis and Maasai shawls flooding the AMC lobby. He gave us three rows in the front standing and swaying to Kendrick & SZA during the credits. He gave us an obligatory X-ing of the wrists that went on for weeks after. He gave me the playlist to train for my second half marathon, but more importantly, he gave countless Black kiddos their first big screen superhero that looked like them.

Somewhere in my imagination, we discover all the bad things in 2020 come to an end when portals open up in the sky, and this is the first face that greets us.

#242 Oceanic Landbridge

29 August 2020 // San Diego, California

We need a new way of looking at each other and seeing people. Again, thinking back to the early days of this season we're in, one of the things that came to mind is just... We started to realize that, hey, the person stocking the groceries on our grocery store shelf is bringing this critical and crucial service to the world, that if you remove that piece, so many things fall apart, we no longer have access to our food that we've taken for granted. And we can say this about the farm workers in the fields who are growing that food, and the delivery drivers who are going... And I think, for me, that really challenged this notion. 

I spend a lot of time in circles where we like to dream big and imagine our purpose and our life's calling, and I think that's a great thing. And I think we often associate that with having some sort of role that involves maybe a stage or a mega platform, or something. And just realizing that there's that same sense of calling and purpose in bringing something to the world that is important, is just as true for the farm worker, and the driver, and the stocker, and the cashier, and all the personnel. 

I hope one of the things that we move into is no longer taking that for granted, or no longer seeing them as lesser important roles, because they aren't.

#243 Radishes and Polenta

30 August 2020 // San Diego, California

Shoutout to everyone going through a stretch of wildly uncomfortable but undeniably necessary growth right now. Real growth is almost never comfortable. It’s tiring. It tests almost every relationship you have, even with yourself. But the results are SO WORTH THE PROCESS.

#244 10 Months of Rhys

31 August 2020 // San Diego, California

My baby Baymax just updated to version 10.0 months old.

I am spending a TON of time with this kid these days. We had some snags with our childcare situation and have had to get pretty creative with taking care of Rhys while working from home. And while it’s hopefully temporary and not the most ideal situation, getting all this time with him has also been a pretty big gift.

Someday, I’ll be older. He’ll be older. And I’d give so much to live one day back in these bodies in this year- 2020- the one we rightfully love to collectively dunk on.

This month’s highlights:

🛸 He figured out how to hitch a ride on the vacuum cleaner all on his own.
👟 New PR for steps taken: 1️⃣5️⃣!
🌳 Parks every day! Lovin’ the outdoors as always.
🐷 Piggyback rides are kinda the best now.
🦀 The tide pools are one of our favorite spots in town. So much to discover.
🔥 There’s no place we’d rather be than trying to climb up into the fireplace

Where Are You Going First?

Our summer trips were all cancelled so we’re standing in front of this picture where the Land Of Make Believe currently looks a lot like BANFF!
⁣
(Actually this was taken almost four months ago. This rapidly growing kiddo doesn’t let me get away with posting non-chronological photos like I used to!)
⁣
🍁

Anyways... for all those dreaming about being able to travel again, where’s the first place you’re off to when that’s a thing again?
⁣
Of course the *real* answer has a lot of variables out of our control but there are a few places I’ve been talking about a lot lately:
⁣
🇻🇳 Vietnam - The dream: our guide gives us the inside scoop as we make our way out of Hanoi towards some waterfalls. But first we gotta stop at this noodle shop. Oh, hey, it’s that same one Obama and Bourdain went to. Whatttttt.
⁣
🇦🇺🇳🇿 Australia/New Zealand- Sorry. I know Aussies & NZers aren’t keen on being lumped together like this, but the stuff that interests me about both countries is so similar. Wildlife, outdoor adventures, fun people. Plus most of the airlines I have vouchers for fly there.
⁣
🇯🇵 Japan - We were here last in 2014, but a weekend in Tokyo was not enough time. Dreaming of some of its less urban wonders.
⁣
🇨🇩 DR Congo - This is one of my trips from this year I’m the most sad to have called off! It was gonna be a work trip, but I’ve felt such a strong sense of connection to the Congo for a long time it’s a bit of a surprise I haven’t been there yet. Of course the DRC has a very fragile health infrastructure so I wouldn’t risk this trip until I can be absolutely sure I’m keeping this virus out of the villages!
⁣
🇪🇸 Spain - I’ve caught so many sights and smells lately that give me serious Spanish summer vibes and I’ll take that as a sign.
⁣
I could rewrite this list in a week or two with totally different places, though. What places are you eyeballing?

Discovering Sufjan

Oh hey Rhys, Age of Adz is a great album and still holds up after ten years! BUT, Illinois or Seven Swans are much more accessible entry points and provide the context that can help you appreciate more experimental flavors like Impossible Soul.

Looking forward to Ascension.
What’s everybody listening to these days? Old faves? New stuff?

Joy, Justice, and John Lewis

When you learn how to pursue joy and justice at the very same time, great things happen.
⁣
🌐🌐🌐
⁣
It’s been great seeing people dive deeper into John Lewis’ legacy. While I’ve always admired the bylines of his life that get printed in history books, it’s been a treat to hear more about his humanity from people who got to work with him.
⁣
When the Supreme Court invalidated parts of the Voting Rights Act he fought so hard for, he mentioned wanting to cry. He would tear up when talking about old friends in the fight for Civil Rights who were lost too soon.
⁣
He also…
🧥 cosplayed as his younger self at San Diego Comic-Con.
🕴🏿crowd-surfed at the age of 78 on Colbert.
🧔🏾drafted April Fools’ press releases about growing a beard.
📹 showed up in a Young Jeezy video.
⁣
He knew how to grieve, and he knew how to celebrate and play.
⁣
⛰
⁣
It reminds me of something Henri Nouwen always talked about: “We tend to stay away from mourning and dancing. Too afraid to cry, too shy to dance… we become narrow-minded complainers, avoiding pain and also true human joy… While we live in a world subject to the evil one, we belong to God. Let us mourn, and let us dance.” Or as Octavia Butler says, “Make people FEEL! FEEL! FEEL!”
⁣
Building a real legacy calls for thick skin and a soft heart. It’s so easy to have one without the other, and so tough to cultivate them both. What helps? Seeing life as an adventure. Caring about something bigger than yourself. Taking the time to play. Letting yourself be humbled regularly.

Adventure Still Matters

Adventure still matters.
⁣
Even during a pandemic and everything.
⁣
🌁
⁣
Going somewhere unfamiliar, letting yourself be blown away by nature, and tapping into a sense of wonder makes us better people. Humble. Grateful. Soft-hearted. And our world needs those qualities so badly right now.

Take the precautions, of course. But don’t starve yourself of wonder.
⁣
⛰⛰⛰

The other weekend, we found a peak to climb in Lakeside. It was way hotter than we were planning (triple digits, ugh) and while the trail wasn’t long, it got real steep towards the end. I’m pretty impressed with my eight month old’s endurance.
⁣
At the peak, a pile of boulders formed the perfect cave. After climbing around, we ducked into the cave where the shade cooled things down considerably. The rocks formed a perfect wind tunnel, letting us cool off while snagging an amazing panoramic view.
⁣
It felt so good and right to be out there. To be reminded of that sense of aliveness that I haven’t gotten enough of in a while.
⁣
🌄🌄🌄

Adventures are a bit harder to orchestrate these days. But if you need to, figure out how to do something while taking all the precautions to keep others safe. If you need to, reframe what you consider an adventure.
⁣
🛶
⁣
What are you doing to keep adventure alive, in spite of it all?

John Lewis

I remember when Nelson Mandela passed. I spent the earlier part of that same year in South Africa, and felt a strong sense of gratitude that our time on Earth overlapped.
⁣
I’m feeling that way again about John Lewis.
⁣
Saddened by the loss of the Congressman and Civil Rights giant. He’s an example to me of what conviction looks like. I know I live in a better world because of his boldness, and I’m thankful for the torch he’s passed.
⁣
Spent some time drawing one of his most famous quotes- and a personal favorite.
⁣
Want to do a deeper dive into Lewis’ legacy?
⁣
🖥 The @johnlewisdoc Good Trouble just released digitally. I believe it’s on Prime and can be rented via AppleTV, YouTube, Google Play or PlayStation.
⁣
📚 The book trilogy March (volumes 1-3) is essentially his autobiography in graphic novel form. It’s impressively illustrated for sure.
⁣
📺 There are a lot of great interviews of his on YouTube but I would recommend his CBS This Morning message to protestors, recorded on June 4 of this year. It’s one of the last interviews he ever gave at an appropriately important time in our history.

Keep Playing the Long Game

What now?
⁣
Last month was such a whirlwind of reflection and spoken commitments to racial justice. I loved it. So much of the conversation happening was long overdue. But what happens now? Personal posts are no longer paused. We’ve seen big wins alongside token gestures. The short attention span of popular media has been pulled away by other things.
⁣
🗞🗞🗞
⁣
While it’s easy to get excited over moments, one of my biggest lessons has been that the real and lasting change doesn’t happen overnight. It happens during the long haul. Before the cameras show up. Long after they leave.

It’s easy to feel a sense of defeat or discouragement during those quiet moments. Like… that’s it?? But I found these words from Andre Henry’s newsletter encouraging: “Between the mass demonstrations, movement newcomers are developed into leaders. Organizers reflect on the successes and missteps in the uprising and refine their praxis. Organizations champion the instrumental, tangible, local changes that are necessary to accomplish the big slogans of the mass movement.”
⁣
🗓 The Greensboro sit-ins went on for 175 days.
🗓The Montgomery Bus Boycotts went on for 382 days.
🗓 The Freedom Rides went on for 584 days.
⁣
But white supremacy has gone on for centuries, so it simply isn’t realistic to expect one month to undo all that. When we buy into the idea that the hard part is over, it actually creates hiding spaces for racism to persist.
⁣
This year is a great test in our ability to play the long game. To commit to things beyond the immediate present. It’s easy to get tired during the long haul, so it’s important to come up with sustainable ways to keep up the momentum. Here are a few ideas.

COVID's Still a Thing

Things will get better, but most likely, they’ll first get worse.

🏙
⁣
But nobody died of COVID-19 in New York City the other day. It’s the first time since early March we’ve been able to say that.
⁣
Meanwhile, I’m in San Diego, where our case rates are setting new records. Like a lot of other spots, there’s no good reason why we shouldn’t be taking things as seriously as we were in early April.

🏙
⁣
There’s a lot to be frustrated with. Individualistic selfishness, the threat to kids in schools, the disproportionate toll this disease has on Black and brown communities, and the fact that it looks like most other countries have made much better progress. Yet, in spite of all this, I’m hopeful.
⁣
My family is at a higher risk, so I’ve had to keep tabs on what we’re learning about the virus and potential treatments pretty closely. Vaccine trials are showing good results so far, testing innovations will open more doors (like literal doors), and 80% of new cases come from outbreaks in hotspots. Figure out how to get those under wraps will help a LOT. Rolling out a vaccine won’t exactly be a reverse-Thanos-snap, but it isn’t far-fetched to see how that, plus a combo of strategies could make COVID-19 less deadly and less infectious.

📊📊📊
⁣I get it. So many of you are tired, and I am too. But try not to look back too much, comparing summer 2019 to summer 2020. Be present and look forward. Let the current chapter be a difficult one so that the next one can bring life and liberation.
⁣
▪️We take a break from our usual travels and adventures, so that we can venture into a healthier, more sustainable world in the near future.
⁣
▪️We have tough conversations with our loved ones so that parents of Black kids no longer need to have “the Talk.”
⁣
▪️We deal with our summer plans being cancelled so that others may have more summers ahead.

🌐🌐🌐
⁣
Arundathi Roy points out that, “historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next.”
⁣
I’m with Arundathi on this one. Mask up, wash up, stay in, order out, keep doing the right thing.

Eight Months of Rhys

Month number eight of adventuring with this guy. Honestly, it feels like he very quickly leveled up from the small baby stage of always dozing off in my arms to the big baby stage of turbo crawling everywhere.
⁣
🗯
⁣
He also finally fits this Captain America suit that used to seem massive. Gotta love Cap’s moral compass and fight against prejudice since the 1930s.
⁣
This is stating the obvious but the #worldofrhys so far has looked very different than I thought it would. But this morning I found this Tweet from Andy Slavitt moving:
⁣
🔻
⁣
We need to remember this is months of hardship. Not decades. And that kids are sponges.
⁣
Maybe they will miss some math. And maybe they will learn real human compassion.
⁣
Maybe they will miss some history.
And maybe they will live some history.
⁣
🔺
⁣
I know this is a really challenging time, parents, and those of y’all with slightly older kids have it much harder than I do. But this can be such a moment to show the kiddos what human compassion looks like.
⁣
💪🏽👶🏽💪🏽
⁣
On a way different note and tone... my kid is jacked. Like, I’m kinda jelly of those biceps. I guess that’s what happens when you spend all your waking time using your arms to pull yourself up on furniture. Anybody else wind up with an oddly buff baby at this age??

In Italia

One of the best decisions I made as a student was to spend a summer in Italy.
⁣
🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹
⁣
Here are some of my favorite shots, remastered.
⁣
It’s mindblowing how all this was now a DECADE ago.
⁣
My memories of that semester are still so vivid. The route I’d walk every day. The spot on the balcony where I’d start mornings by people watching. Walking to the tourist spots at night after they’d emptied out.
⁣
🍷
⁣
It’ll always be impossible to say which trip made the biggest impact on me, but Italy has a strong case. There’s so much I gained from that summer that still carry with me. Better photography skills. A desire to slow things down more regularly. Confidence in myself. An appreciation for quality ingredients over complex recipes. A renewed love for slow travel and getting to know places intimately. A wetter appetite for all the places left I have yet to see. Some basic Italian.

So many customs like aperitivo hours, district dinner parties, and the presence of ornate art in practically every direction taught me what it looks like when a culture community, friendship, and beauty over the rush to be productive.
⁣
Most of all, I learned a sense of wonder in knowing what it’s like to wake up feeling like you’re in a world full of history, legacy, and possibility.
⁣
I can’t wait till I get to go back again.
⁣
What spot away from home do you think had a big hand in shaping you?

Environmental Antiracism

Here’s the thing about walking towards justice. You pick a path, whether it’s gender or race or sustainability, and inevitably, it connects with all the other paths.

Here’s a short summary of how I discovered just how connected the pursuit of racial justice and environmental justice are:
🌿
It can be easy to think of environmentalist movements as very white, especially when you look at the marketing of sustainably branded products, the ZIP codes where natural grocers are located, or the fact that nearly 90% of leadership roles in environmental organizations are filled by white people. These are actually symptoms of environmental racism and they obscure how connected these issues are.

In reality, racism puts BIPOC communities at the front lines of environmental injustice, both domestically and globally. Majority Black and Brown countries are the most affected by climate change, deforestation, and rising seas. Black and Hispanic neighborhoods see the worst pollution in the US. And indigenous communities manage most of the Earth’s biodiversity.
🌿
The most effective solutions to these problems usually come from the leaders of these communities, but racism keeps them occupied in the struggle for survival across other fronts.

🌳🌲🌳

If you’ve been invested in either of these causes, but haven’t taken much time to look into the other, it’s a good time to start. I can’t say it any better than Ayana Elizabeth Johnson — if we don’t work on both, we’ll succeed at neither!

🌲🌳🌲

This is a repost of an info slider I made for Plant With Purpose and shared over there the other week. I’m eager to continue digging deeper to integrate two of the causes I’m most invested in. If you’re more interested in the crossroads of faith, justice, and the environment, give us a follow over there— we get to plant a tree with each new face!

Staycation Mode

The idea of a staycation never really appealed to me.

Like, there are far too many places on my bucket list for me to want to use up time and money on staying home. But of course, that isn’t really an option this year.

And we really need that rest!

A few weeks ago, Deanna and I realized we needed to do something quick to refill our buckets. We were living in close quarters with family, dealing with the weight of national news while trying to have important conversations with loved ones about race. At the same time, Rhys hit a major sleep regression. Our jobs were hectic, as we tried to work from home, all with the threat of a pandemic going on outside.

That’s when we decided to cash in on two more weeks of paid family leave we had left. So now we’re on maternity/paternity leave 2.0!

The next few weeks look like:
📽 Installing a projector and screen in our house, just in time for Hamilton
🎮 Getting to the 2020 World Series... via MLB The Show- who would’ve thought Toronto would be in it??
✏️ Lots of digital drawing
📚 Working through that stack of books next to my bed
🥡 Figuring out date nights during a pandemic- we brought takeout to the lawn of a historic church for a picnic
🎎 Socially distant backyard hangs with people we haven’t seen in far too long.

I’m learning that if you’re committed to working on something for the long haul, you need to have a game plan for taking care of yourself as part of it.

Parenthood, health, sustainability, racial justice, our careers in social work and advocacy, and our relationships with our families all fit that bill.

We need y’all for the long haul- do take care of yourselves!