Celebrating Black Maternal Health Week #BMHW25

Mom and three kids Greetings from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! Things have been busy. I am still a working mom of three, working full time who is trying to make a difference. I do a lot of things and try to be present so that I can learn from them. I share them on this blog so that we can learn together. Below are some thoughts, hacks, and/or lessons that I have learned from navigating my world. Black Maternal Health Week April 11-17, 2025 I am a Black mom to three wonderful children. I was blessed to have three successful births. While I am an attorney, my third delivery highlighted the potential risks that occur when a physician fails to listen to the birthing person. Initially, I chalked it up to the physician involved and limited it to my personal birthing experience. Then, I learned that I was not special. Overwhelmingly, Black women experience higher rates of birth trauma, birthing complications and negative birth outcomes.  These statistics are what lead to the creation of ...

Seasons are a changin', but I'm not


Some people always choose the truth. But sometimes truth is overrated. Sometimes, I choose denial because it is more fun that way.

I am currently denying that summer ended on Labor Day. I'm simply not ready for it to end. Since I have nearly majored in denial for a lifetime, I have decided to live my life as if summer has not ended.

I shall continue to enjoy the season as if I make the rules. I shall continue to dine al fresco, wear white with impunity, and watch the fireworks where ever I find them.

I shall bask in the sunshine, go swimming until it's unhealthy to do so, and drink obsecene amounts of lemonade (perhaps a few margaritas).

I shall go to amusement parks, eat candy apples, and seek invitations to cook outs where I'll get some good barbequed chicken.

I shall enjoy summer salads full of fresh produce, watch with anticipation as my butter melts atop my corn on the cob, and consume watermelon with passion and vigor. I won't even bother to wipe the juice from my chin until I'm all done.

I shall continue to revel in my summer fling. I'll relish kisses under the stars and stolen glances under the moonlight. I will pretend as if it is a new romance that has all of the potential of Memorial Day and all of the excitement of the Fourth of July.

I shall dine on my patio and appreciate the constant sound of the invisible, but noisy, crickets.

I shall take long weekends, eat outside, and read a book under a tree.

I shall invite my girlfriends to go on a trip to some spa or exotic place where we can create memories to inspire us all year long. Together we shall ignore convention and the calendar and declare "viva summer!"--well at least until it becomes grossly unfashionable.

I shall end my summer like I began it, committed to extracting every bit of joy out of every day.

I believe that Summer is a state of mind and not confined by the calendar. It symbolizes relaxation, romance, and vacation. Those are some of the sweetest things that life has to offer. I don't think that there's anything at all wrong with wanting to extend it. Do you?!

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