When I was assigned this blog post, I was filled with uncertainty about an appropriate topic to write about. The state of the coronavirus seems to change by the hour, and who knows what the coming months will bring. One of my ideas was to write about emerging heroes across our community. Then I realized that heroes are all around us, doing their part, large and small, to help us through this hard time. Choosing which heroes to write about would be difficult.
Black people are facing two pandemics: COVID-19 and racism. It’s no secret that life in the U.S. is unjust for the Black community. With each passing day, we see another headline about Black people dying from COVID-19 at three times the rate of white people, and more videos where Black people are being discriminated against, targeted by police, and killed. How is this affecting the mental health of the Black community?
This morning, I awoke to my 21-month-old slapping a used Band-Aid gently on my face. Ah, a new day. What does coping look like as a parent of small children right now? For me, it looks like lowering my expectations (especially of myself), tuning in to what each member of my family needs, and claiming time for myself.
Imagine you’re a 15-year-old transgender teen. You only recently began to feel comfortable at school, getting called by your chosen name and pronouns, and dressing the way that affirms your gender. Your parents have a hard time understanding your identity. This makes home feel like a place where you aren’t allowed to be your true self.
On page 240 of my high school yearbook from my senior year, you can find me featured on the superlatives page. My best friend and I were featured as “best bromance.” Alec and I have been best friends since as long as I could remember. Alec and I grew up in the same neighborhood and went to the same Jewish day school. We then went to the same preschool and stayed at the same school until we both graduated last summer.
