​In this unprecedented time of collective reckoning with anti-Black racism, it can be hard to know what to do.
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I mentioned in an earlier post that when another mom's in need, you're there with a casserole.

Let's rally that generous energy to care for the Black folks in our lives. 

My college roommate posted on Facebook:

"Today I'm feeling the weight of the collective black sorrow all through my body. Black people are not okay right now."

There is no easy fix for this, but we can at least show up in ways we know how to show love.

DO:
- Send money for coffee, leave flowers on the doorstep, drop off a meal or do any of the loving things you'd do for a mom with a newborn in survival mode.
- Take a risk in trying something new in the context of the relationship.


DON'T:
- Preface your gift with a long preamble about how guilty you feel, how overwhelmed you are, or how exhausting current events have been for you. It's totally fine to feel these things. Process them with someone else. (See Ring Theory for why.)
- Make your act of service something so complicated it adds to the stress in their life.

Self Care Coach for moms
Brave Self Care

Last week I promised I'd be back to show you how to zap overwhelm and take steps toward what matters most.

This phrase kept coming to me as my mind raced last week, feeling frantic about what my response would be to anti-Black racism.
 
"Pray as you can, not as you can't"

It means to pray however is realistic for you at the moment, not in some super-holy, totally undistracted, hours-on-your-knees way if you can't do that.

And I think it applies here, wherever you are in your journey to antiracism.

Do what you CAN -

• even if it's a baby step
• even if it feels like a drop in the bucket
• even if the voice in your head's telling you it's not enough
  ​

Not what you THINK you should, if that 'should' isn't realistic for you.

Yes, I would like to unearth all the ways I'm complicit in White supremacy, become the best ally, fearlessly call my representatives, and embrace my role as an Asian-American in the fight for justice - but realistically? That's incredibly overwhelming and can only be learned over time.

Do what you can.

Just one thing.

Then the next.

Then the next.

And slowly become the change you want to see.
​

​First, if you're a Black mom - I'm so glad you're here. Before anything else, here are two self-care resources for you:

The rest of this post is for my fellow non-Black moms.

Maybe like me, you've been grappling with what to do, say and feel in light of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and countless others. 

To be honest, for several days, I froze.

If you've followed me for any length of time, you've probably seen how much I love getting outside for exercise. 

To know that Ahmaud Arbery was followed and killed for doing the same thing stopped me in my tracks. How could I proceed with business as usual knowing that the simple pleasures I recommend to my audience are not so simple for Black folks?

It's embarrassing to admit that this has always been the case, yet I haven't taken care to consider race and racism as I talk about what I do.

If you, too, are feeling embarrassed, frozen, or overwhelmed, I want to encourage you.
 ​

​"How?" you may ask.

Great question! Click here to find out how to zap overwhelm and take steps toward what matters most. 

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