I hate Mother’s Day. Now, I know that might make you think that I don’t love my mother, but that’s just not true. My mom is awesome. She is one of my biggest supporters, and she has always encouraged me to be the best that I can possibly be. I hate Mother’s Day because IContinue reading “Why Mother’s Day S*#%s”
Tag Archives: family
Something We Don’t Talk About: The Change
In general, “the change” in a woman’s life is usually a pretty personal issue. Some women will talk about it with their close friends, but very few women will speak publicly about the symptoms of menopause. I’ll tell you honestly, it stinks! Unfortunately, women in my family start the transition into post-child bearing years fairlyContinue reading “Something We Don’t Talk About: The Change”
Death: A Strange Part of Life
Death is such a strange part of life. Most of us spend our lifetimes trying to avoid our own death, and when someone we love has died, we struggle to know how to respond. This last week, my stepdad passed away suddenly overnight. We knew it was coming, but just not so soon. He wentContinue reading “Death: A Strange Part of Life”
A Reflection on the Seven Ages of Man
A few weeks ago, I watched a stage production of Shakespeare’s comedy, As You Like It, put on by Stage Door Productions in Fredericksburg, VA. The actor portraying Jacques did a wonderful job with “The Seven Ages of Man” in Act Two, Scene 7, lingering in his description of the stages that many endure throughoutContinue reading “A Reflection on the Seven Ages of Man”
Goodbye…Again?
In the fall of 2006, Garry and I came out to Virginia for a wedding. Little did I know at the time that Virginia would become home for the next thirteen years of our marriage, bringing with it tremendous change in our family, our ministry, and our daily lives. In 2014, we thought we wereContinue reading “Goodbye…Again?”
#MyCovidStory
A few days ago I participated in a virtual town hall meeting of a teacher’s organization in my state. During the meeting, a professor from Arizona shared statistics about states across the nation who are seeing spikes in their COVID numbers. He explained that each state saw an increase in infections as the state entered a new phase of reopening. His warning was that my own state will more than likely see a large increase in numbers soon since we have not yet seen the effects of our Phase 2 despite the fact that we are already in Phase 3. At the end of his presentation he encouraged educators to share their stories with the hash tag MyCovidStory as a way to bring awareness to the issues that educators are facing as government officials, school boards, city councils, and boards of supervisors are seeking ways to “reopen” schools this fall. So I thought I would reflect on my own COVID story as a way of describing the issues that so many of us are facing today, not just educators.
Preserving the Story of Black Women
The preservation of the past is one of the most important aspects of remembering and honoring cultural identity. This may include uncovering artifacts, discovering cultural norms, or retelling folk stories. Remembering and honoring the past is one of the important responsibilities of an anthropologist, and more specifically, the responsibility of an ethnographer. Zora Neale HurstonContinue reading “Preserving the Story of Black Women”
Be Encouraged: Living a Life of Sacrifice 