Hello Friends,
It’s been a minute.
I sat down many times over the last few months, but everything I wrote amounted to no more than throat clearing. So I won’t bore you with a treatise on “What I did on my summer vacation.”
I’ll get right down to it.
If you haven’t you seen the video of Shane Hawkins banging the hell out of the drums at a Foo Fighters tribute concert for his dad Taylor Hawkins, stop what you're doing and watch it now.
Look at his face.
Watch how hard, and with such passion, he hits those drums. Watch grief and grace and pain and beauty all wrapped up in one 16-year-old kid. I dare you not to be moved.
I’ve been lucky to have many heroes in my life. First, my mother, a single, hardworking woman, taught me it was more important to give than to take. Then there was my brother, who may as well have hung the moon. He taught me about music and gives the best advice.
Then, of course, there was Aiden, the toughest kid I’d ever met. He felt and gave love freely and kept his mischievous crooked smile even when he was too sick to do more than sleep in my arms. They say, “Never meet your hero,” but I was lucky enough to give birth to mine, and maybe, for just a little while, I was his hero too.
This is where I am today. Thank you for listening.
xoxo,
Emily
Links to Ponder
A powerful conversation about what the fight after the fall of Roe will look like (Strict Scrutny Podcast)
How to support a grieving friend. Some do’s and don’ts (Moms don’t have time to grieve)
All runners deserve to feel safe. (Runner’s World)
A young chef I used to work with just got written up in the Washington Post, and I’m feeling like a proud mama. (Washington Post)
An award-winning Nebraska high school newspaper was canceled for publishing a Pride issue (Washington Post)
Go be weird (Swiss Miss)
“Wellness,” just another thing on my todo list I don’t do well… (New York Times)
The cool kids on the bus (The Sun)
Your Journal Prompt for Today
Post your response in the comments below or tag me on Instagram @emilykathleenwrites