Be Water

I've been having a difficult time making decisions lately - crippled by the fear of making the wrong one. Today, my friend reminded me that the beauty of life is that nothing is permanent. People, places, things - they all flow in and out of our lives, constantly changing.

Truth is, there are no “right” & “wrong” decisions. Just the ones you make and the ones you don’t. If something doesn’t feel right, you can always make a change.

As Bruce Lee so wisely said, “be water.” Flow & move. Never be afraid to make a wrong choice, or worse, let your fears paralyze you into not moving at all. Be like water. Flow. 🌊

P.S. If you have the opportunity to, I highly recommend watching Bao Ngyuen’s Be Water, which is part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series. There’s so much I never knew about Bruce and his timeless wisdom is the perfect reminder that we still need to hear today.

Flowers of Gratitude

 - Thankful for the stillness this year brought: a reminder that it’s okay and very much possible (& necessary) for a go, go, go gal like me to sloooow down

- Thankful for hugs 🐻 (a note to self to squeeze every single person who allows it once it’s safe to once again)

- Thankful for flowers 🌻 many of which were honestly just downright necessary for some self-love & care

- Thankful for all the healthcare workers who have worked day in and day out to care for our loved ones with kindness and compassion, especially in moments where we couldn’t be there to hold their hands

- Thankful for the many beautiful & kind souls who lifted me up with love this year when my legs couldn’t stand ❤️

- Thankful for the abundance in my life: love, family, friendship, opportunity, passion, and everything in between

- Thankful for the hard lessons this year has taught us. i know the scars will remind us of our strength when tough times come back around.

Although this year brought its ups and downs, i hope the joy continues to outweigh the rain. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone - wishing you all love, warmth, and peace to fill your homes & hearts.

The First Time: Devil's Teeth Baking Co.

For some, this is just a photo of a mouth-watering breakfast sandwich. And, in its simplest form, it is. And yet, it’s also a reminder of the simple pleasures of experiencing something for the first time.

When’s the last time you enjoyed something for the very first time? When’s the last time you did something completely and wildly new-to-you? For me, it was the day we went to Devil’s Teeth Baking Co., an Outer Sunset staple. It’s lauded for its amazing pastries and bakes, as well as its infamous “Special Breakfast” sandwich. Two eggs, bacon, avocado, pepper jack cheese, generously slapped with some lemon-garlic aioli against a fluffy homemade biscuit. *Chef’s Kiss*

Devil’s Teeth had been on my list for some time and I finally told myself that this was the day. So down to the beach we went. I’ve been spending more time at the beach because it was my dad’s favorite place to go when he wanted to clear his mind. He grew up in the Inner Richmond and being by the water makes me feel like he’s there, too. And, I’ll obviously take any excuse to enjoy a sun, sand, and breakfast sandwich combo.

Needless to say, this place is a must and if you’ve been thinking about going, consider this your sign to finally go. Do the thing. Enjoy the now. Go.

What Was The Best Part of Your Day?

What was the best part of your day? Really, I want to know 🤗

This weekend’s collective joy was one for the books. Seeing so many people laugh, dance, scream out in relief, and honk in celebration was so wonderful to take in. It was as if everyone had been holding their breath for months & was finally able to breathe.

I’ve been doing my best to soak up everything. All the joys, all the tears, all the laughs. the anger, sadness, and grief attacks, too. My grief counselor recently told me that working to find the little joys helps to rewire our brains - it changes the grooves (so to speak) & teaches us how to navigate & process our new lives.

Last weekend’s joy is one that I think we all very much needed. This year has been a hard one for us all; but, just as I was reminded to find the joys, I’m extending that reminder to you, too.

Consider the daily practice of asking yourself (& each other), “what was the best part of your day?” and watch as the grooves in your brain flow towards joy over time.

Here is a photo of one of my recent “bests” - getting this cute happy face nail art from @saundersandjames. I cannot help but smile every single time I see these tiny smiley faces on my hands (& getting a safe + much-needed mani/pedi after monthhhhs also felt really good, so there’s that!) 🙃

Return To Sender

 

So many feels after making it to the last day of @mccalmanco’s "Tell Me Three Things That I Can Do/Return to Sender.”

First, what a treat to meet George and see his work IRL.

“Tell Me Three Things” centers around the triggering phrases @mccalmanco received from white acquaintances following the murder of George Floyd. (& that’s really just the tip of it.)

It’s a beautiful expression of emotions & an artistic summation of the overwhelming feelings many of us have held & processed inside. there was something especially healing about his body of work — realizing the power of returning things to sender & releasing the burden of someone else’s words on you. just “simply” giving them back to whom they belong to.

“This is the stuff that is under our skin, this is the stuff that warps us as a Black community because we are just storing all of this stuff, all this toxicity. And it affects our physical health, it affects our emotional state, it affects our bodies. And the people who’ve given it to us don’t even know they have given it to us.” (via @representcollaborative)

And then, consider his gift to us — offering a space to think, feel, talk about, & reflect on race. the world needs more of this — shared experiences that knock open doors of thought, channel self-reflection, and invite dialog among us. thank you, George, for the reminder that telling our stories is one of the most important things we can do.

If you didn’t get to see this IRL:
📰 Read @representcollaborative’s piece by @erinfeher, here
💭 Marinate on george’s words
💬 And then LMK, how do these pieces make you feel?