I was nineteen years old when I had my first child. After my family had invested money, time, and other resources into me attending private school all of my life, coming home after my freshman year of college pregnant was not cool. It was then that I really began my…

I mean, after the call has been made and police have shown up. After you talk to your neighbors to figure out how many shots were fired again and to make sure everyone is okay (whatever that means). After you talk to your spouse who heard the victim (still living…

Did you and your family start a text thread during the pandemic? Mine did. Some of us are closer than others — like my mother, her sister, brother, and cousin on the thread. My siblings, adult daughter, my husband, and 2 first cousins, and stepfather are on it too. …

I’m starting to think that maybe, just maybe, watching television isn’t the reward I’ve made it out to be. For as long as I can remember, I have looked forward to the point in the day when I could just sit down and watch TV. …

After writing about my interest in slowing down my life and how anathema that can seem to Black women, I tried in earnest to actually start slowing down. I found lists of things to do to help me. Be patient, go offline, do one thing at a time, count how…

Philosopher of contemporary living and author — Alexandra Stoddard — wrote that “[t]he home is the center of your soul; it’s a total reflection of your inner life.” Since I was 20 years old, I have used her guidance about sustaining a meaningful and rich life at home. …