What A Year

A braid hanging on by baby hair best describes this year. Just raggedy. However, there’s levity and grace. A year that began by losing a job turned into a year of career alignment and telling Black stories with so much pride. Cancelations and postponed activities gave way to learning the once foreign sport of rest. Re-energized, I gave more to myself, the people, and the things I love. So much energy was spent chasing more, but I found my superpower to be using what I have and going forth. 

Running 100-miles in the heat of July, quarantine cooking, sitting in the park with my sister-friends, eating fried chicken on the beach with my family, hiking with my sister, clubbing to Verzuz battles in the living room, following Tanqueray’s story on Instagram, watching Black Is King, and face-timing close friends meant so much. 

Duel pandemics tried to take us out. The resurgence of The Black Lives Matter Movement and Covid threatened our physical as well as mental health. A year of isolation fortified close friendships. Unwavering commitment to these relationships meant going on sometimes uneasy emotional journies to help one another cope. We all maneuvered setbacks, losses, and disappointments at varying degrees. This year showed few signs of ever letting up, one vicious blow after the next. 

Then there was the election. We won, Kamala Harris became the first Black Vice President. It felt like victory cutting through doomsday clouds. While uncertainty still lingers, I’m certain we’ll be okay.