Time for a Sabbatical

Hello hello,

In case you missed it (as if you care…), Brene Brown announced she’s taking a 14 week sabbatical over the summer. She’s pausing her podcasts and ‘going dark’ on social media while also giving her entire company 4 weeks of paid vacation (in addition to their normal vacation policy) this summer. She’s said repeatedly over the last year that ‘people are not ok. we are not ok’. Between the pandemic, racially motivated hate crimes, attacks on reproductive rights, stressful work environments, and all the unique challenges we are each facing in our daily lives, OF COURSE WE’RE NOT OK!! And Brene is walking the talk by offering her team a reprieve. Of course, it won’t fix everything, but it most definitely won’t hurt.

Between this and a recent conversation with a coworker who will soon be heading out on a 2 1/2 week vacation, I’ve also made the decision to schedule some true vacation time this summer. My family will be visiting MN for 2 weeks over the 4th of July, and I was originally planning on working remotely while attempting to offload the kids to various friends and family. After pausing to think through how my husband and I would manage this AND seeing examples of people modeling what real rest looks like, I’m taking the whole trip as a vacation from work. This decision feels outright scandalous! Audre Lorde said, ““Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” I cannot sit back and preach that we should stop touting exhaustion as a status symbol without walking the walk. (Also, I have to acknowledge my privilege to be able to do this. It is not lost on me.)

I don’t have the energy to articulate all of my thoughts and feelings regarding the attack on Roe v. Wade today. I don’t have the energy to express my sadness around the white supremacy driven hate crime that happened in Buffalo this week. But, both deserve so much public outrage, and I’m mentally and spiritually at every protest, march, and act of resistance across the nation.

The Codeswitch podcast is featuring a series called “School Colors” about a school district in Queens, NY that received a state-funded Diversity plan and the racial antics that ensued. Check out the first episode of the series here:

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/03/1096469394/why-a-diverse-school-district-erupted-in-chaos-when-chosen-for-a-diversity-plan

The series reminds me of the Serial/NY Times affiliated show “Nice White Parents” which was the inspiration for the name of this blog.

#blacklivesmatter #powertoprivilege #courageousconversations

-Jessica

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