The Beauty Of A Self-Care Summer

Though the summer is still in session, with full confidence, I can honestly say that this summer has been one of the best summers I’ve ever had. It’s been nothing short of amazing. And one of the reasons I believe it’s been so great is because it’s been filled with a lot of self-care (along with some sprinkles of spontaneity). So much so that many of the pictures I’ve shared on social media have followed with #selfcaresummer.

When the summer began, I had a few things planned and other things I wanted to do too, but I knew I needed to make self-care a priority and allow myself to go with the flow of what this summer could bring. In the past two years, I’ve been super busy. I had a career change, went back to school, purchased my first home, adopted a puppy, picked up a new writing opportunity, spent more time with my family and friends, and then this summer arrived. I knew this summer would be a good time for me to slow down and really be in a space to enjoy all the wonderful things happening in my life.

So one of the first things I did was make out a list of books I wanted to read, movies I wanted to watch, and outings and experiences I wanted to have. And as I made my list, I also reminded myself to be open to seeing where this summer could take me. While it’s great to make lists and plans, it’s also refreshing and exciting to let go and let things flow sometimes too. So as I read books, watched movies, and went out with family and friends, I’d also have moments of downtime in between where I allowed myself to be still. There have been days when I walked through each room in my house and thought, “Wow, I have my own home. This is amazing.” I’ve also had prayer time and talks with God about where I’m at in this season of my life as a 32-year-old who never would have imagined her life would be where it is now. And I’ve allowed myself to loosen up and have more fun.

I can tell I’ve really been enjoying this summer because, according to my recent weigh in, I’ve gained 8 lbs. of what I’m calling “summer love weight.” And to my surprise, I’m not freaking out about it. I know I look fine and can shake the gained weight off easily (I work out every week and count calories). But for the most part, I’ve been eating what I want, along with some dessert here and there, so being comfortable with myself and my body has been an act of self-care and self-love too. This self-care summer has been a happy time filled with delicious food and drinks, time with family and close friends, more quality time with my fur baby, live music, beautiful flowers, and making lots of new memories. It’s just been a great time in a lot of special ways, and I’m so grateful I’ve been able to enjoy it. If you’re reading this right now, I hope this summer has been a great one in some special ways for you too.

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

Thoughts From a Black Educator: Qualified, Credentialed, and Constantly Undermined

I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...

The Day I Made A Will

When I was a teenager, I remember writing a list of my greatest fears. One of the things I listed was death. Looking back, it was an interesting item to list because inevitably, death is something each of us will face at some point in our lives. Even though it’s no longer a fear of mine, I understand why and how it’s not a comfortable thing for everyone to navigate. But regardless, this past summer I completed a detailed will. I signed it, had witnesses sign it, and got it notarized. As I was getting everything done, one of the witnesses looked at me and said, “You know, it’s just that you’re so young…” I’ve learned that death doesn’t care how young or how old you are. You can be five, fifteen, thirty, or fifty, and it’s still something that happens. Completing my will wasn’t scary. It gave me peace of mind having documentation in place stating my detailed directives and requests. A year ago, I had one of my kidneys removed. It was a surgery that came with risks that were presented cle...

Making Waves