“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – Winnie the Pooh

We made it to the weekend, we reeeeally made it, after this long, EXHAUSTING, emotionally draining week. Take a deep breath, let it out, woosahh. We’re alive. Alive to feel these raw emotions me and so many others have been feeling. Between George Floyd’s murder (yes, that’s what it is), Breonna Taylor’s, Ahmaud Arbery’s; between the stress of COVID-19, including the concerns for safety, staying healthy, finances, and other things, maaan, this week has just been a LOT. My heart aches for my people. Praying for justice, praying for healing, things just have to change. I am tired, black people are TIRED.

The Get Down: 

What I’m thankful for: My black husband, my black brothers, my black father, the black men in my life. I just want to say thank you to the black men in my life, thank you for being who you are, for enriching my life and others. I love y’all. I appreciate y’all, you are valued, you are amazing, you are LOVED.

What made me laugh this week: This week was so heavy, not a lot of laughter to be honest. BUT I did get a good “heehee” reading the comments under this Madonna tweet. Y’all, Twitter holds nothing back and I cracked up at these comments. Laugh to keep from crying, heyyy!

What inspired me: This video by Michelle Obama. She was congratulating Beyoncé on her Netflix Homecoming release last year, but I still like to think she’s speaking directly to me:

“Hey, Queen! Girl, you have done it again, constantly raising the bar for us all and doing it flawlessly. I’d say I’m surprised but I know who you are. I’ve seen it up close and personal. Girl, you make me so proud, and I love you.” – Michelle Obama

Thanks queen.

What I’m loving: I’ve been hiking more and spending time outdoors. I’m thankful I live in Ohio which has a lot of beautiful parks and nature reserves. Being in nature is calming for me and that was definitely needed this week. When I’m outdoors, I always ALWAYS make sure I wear sunscreen. Black people need sunscreen y’all. And if you’re using all sorts of serums and products on your face, you definitely want to protect that investment – apply that sunscreen. For my face, I’ve personally been using EltaMD UV Clear for the past 2 years. I tried Supergoop Unseen for the first time this week and it may honestly be my new fav! If you want me to do a detailed post on sunscreens I love, let me know. In the meantime, you can buy Supergoop on Amazon here.

What I’m reading: “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers” by Lois P. Frankel. I’ve been listening to the audio book, FREE thanks to my public library. Did you know you can check out audio books from your library? It’s been so CLUTCH during this time, and particularly great when I’m on walks, hiking, or just laying in the grass. If you prefer to have physical copies of books though, you can get the book here. I hope to do a book review of this book once done; I’ve been taking some good notes!

What I’m listening to: The Last Dance official playlist on Spotify. I’m still not over how amazing this documentary was, and all the throwback hits on this playlist is the ultimate nostalgia.

What I’m watching: I watched the new film “The LoveBirds” featuring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s a romantic comedy and available on Netflix. Give it a watch and let me know how you liked it.

What I learned I could do better: Relationships is one area of my life I feel I just need to do better with. I was chatting with a friend during the week and I asked what might be a blind spot for me, her feedback to me: I could work on forming close bonds with people of other races. I wasn’t surprised by this, my close friends are either Black or Latina. I’m working on being more open and allowing myself to be blessed with diverse friendships. It’s a process.

One goal for next week: I probably need to take a social media fast forreal. 24 hours, maybe 48 hours, no Twitter, no Instagram, no Facebook, just a pause from it all. I’m sure my mental health would appreciate it.

Hope you enjoy your Saturday!