Last Week's Look-Back, 2/21/21
There are times when I sit down to write, and I bounce back and forth on what I feel I want to say. It’s been a week-and-a-half of that for me. So this post is going up later than expected, as some thoughts and reactions to what has been going on in the world still form and shift in my mind.
In the celebrity world, more women have come out in recent weeks about the (awful) abuse they faced in their high-profile relationships. A New York Times documentary was released, which has shed light on how terrible we were to our dear Britney Spears in the late 90’s and early 00’s. Chris Harrison has stepped back from The Bachelor franchise after his comments about a racism scandal that has come to light with one of this season’s contestants. I am staying quiet on these things for now, but what I will say is that I’m thankful we’ve arrived at a place where we are all, as a collective society, paying more attention.
In recent days, we also reached 500,000 deaths from the Coronavirus in the United States. Then, cold temperatures swept the nation and caused devastating power outages in Texas. And while I’ve been reflecting on this social movement that’s been happening for a while now - a sort of collective move towards better recognition and acknowledgment of things we have let slide in our society for far too long - what feels most pressing are these recent catastrophes. My heart is with all of those who’ve lost loved ones to Covid-19, or more recently, who have experienced the hardships in Texas.
For the past two weeks, my mind has been consumed with researching daycares for our now 10-week-old. You may wonder why it seems I am just getting to this now, but trust me, the search has been in the works for quite some time. How any parent makes this decision is beyond me. I’ve kept a growing spreadsheet of pros and cons and costs vs. benefits for weeks. It’s a one-page view of just how dang expensive childcare is, in any form, and it changes daily (hourly) as we receive opinions from friends, acquaintances, and strangers online.
I’ve been a part of a new mom’s group for a few weeks now. Once each week, we meet up with our little ones in tow and discuss the joys and challenges of new motherhood. While I’ve learned all kinds of things during these meetups, my greatest takeaway thus far is just how much pressure we put on ourselves (new moms especially, but also, human beings). Society has a way of making all actions and decisions feel not quite good enough, and BOY is that taxing.
I’ve been feeling it in waves in recent weeks: a sort of ever-present self-doubt and tendency to second-guess that is crippling my friends, and myself. And that's where I want to leave this today. Because I’m tired of decision fatigue and of the pressure, put on others and on ourselves. So let's all go into this weekend and new month intending to show as much kindness to ourselves as we set out to show to others. The world is hard enough as it is.
Things I’ve loved this past week
Dolly Parton’s reaction to a bill proposed to erect a statue of her on the Capitol grounds. I just love her.
This Bitch Media article titled Fucking Tired on “fixing The Bachelor’s Racism”.
This Wit & Delight article, “The Unasked for Advice I’ve Learned to Love”. This is gold.
The beautiful Minnesota Star Tribune article about Learning to Love the Cold.
The news that local musician Dessa is launching a podcast called Deeply Human “to explore the secrets of human impulses and behaviors”.
This little piece of advice from Glennon Doyle. If you haven’t read her latest book, Untamed, DO IT.
Songs bringing me life this week
Every song on the latest album from Hayley Williams, FLOWERS for VASES / descansos
What I’m reading this week
“‘Caste’: The Origins of our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkenson
“Home Body” by Rupi Kaur
The “Last Week’s Look-Back” series will be posted on this blog weekly each Sunday afternoon. It’s me at my most honest: an unpolished spewing of reflections and ramblings on all that’s happening in the world.
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