This time last year, I was getting back into the swing of things. School and competitive dance were starting back for my daughter, and we were getting into our Fall routine. For the year 2020, it goes without saying that my routine, as I’m sure yours as well, is much different. It has made me reflect on how I am showing up for myself – and my daughter.
I am a single, Black mother to a 13-year-old daughter. I have always taught my daughter to dream big, go after what she wants, and to strive to be her own superhero. This year, being faced with a pandemic, rising racial injustices, and unprecedented events, it seemed that there was not much that was in our control. I decided to use these unforeseen times as an opportunity to teach my daughter and emulate for her what it looks like to show up and make the decision to continue to “live our lives” while being faced with adversity.
It is so easy to be consumed by the reality of the situation with increased COVID-19 occurrences, deaths, racial injustice, protests, and let us not forget natural disasters. Despite all of the challenges, I have chosen to continue to show up for myself each day with some level of fitness or physical activity. We have taken more time to be outside and enjoy nature through daily walks at the park or spending more time on the patio and playing games with one another.
I have chosen to have more prayer/meditation time to understand how I need to be present in each day. I have also chosen to have deeper conversations with my daughter regarding modern day racism, and what it looks like. These conversations are never easy, but they are necessary. That part has likely been the greatest unveiling of year 2020 that I want her to be prepared for.
As a mom, it is my goal to prepare my daughter to always be a light in shadows of darkness and to take up space in this society in which her gifts and level of compassion help to lead a movement toward true racial understanding and equality. Whether you may be a parent to a child of generation Z or a millennial, I challenge you to ask yourself, “How am I preparing my child for the society that we currently live in and to be a contributing part in the society that the world needs?”
