Wanting to share a win today with the CB community. I'm sobbing right now (in a good way) over something that is really small but is landing in a really big way. I was feeling a little down today, my tween activated at the moment. Then my husband sent me a a local event he saw posted for Lunar New Year this weekend that he thought we should attend. And the tears hit because 1- my sweet husband is thinking of me and trying to celebrate with me, and 2- for the first time my first thought wasn't "is it ok if I'm there?" I can't find the words right now to describe how huge that 2nd thing is for me. It's evidence that the work I've been doing to connect with my ancestors and identity is truly integrating. I just can't stop crying. 😂😭 So so so grateful for this work and this community and everything it's growing within me. 🥹

Did you know that preparation can bring down anxiety? In response to the ICE abductions, I’m scheduling private lessons for me and my teens at https://www.bmacboston.com/ on Saturday afternoons at 2. Timing is flexible. It’s $50/person/class. If you’re in Boston area reach out to me if you want to join us. Self defense includes how to use different items like your coat or keys like weapons. How to discern different actions based on environment. Etc. @Joan A @Andrea Atkinson @Celia Castro @Tashiana Dew @Joy Xiang

I’ve been sitting with Celia’s post and my response in the comments about compassionate accountability. I wonder if my adaptive teen was calling for more patience, which is not what this moment calls for. Let me walk us thru my discernment. When I work with parents who deal with anger at their kids, it points to lack of sufficient boundaries - parents are doing too much. I help them raise the expectations of their kids to do more, reduce their expectations if it’s unrealistic, or better tolerate their children’s feelings. Hold the line. This is the work: to expect more from our white/passing/system upholding siblings since they are the lynchpin to turning the tide. Model the compassionate accountability by managing your internal rage and not put it on their body nor hold it in yours. Put the rage onto the system we’ve been taught to uphold. Channel the energy of the rage by clearing your ancestral grief. Then harness that cleaned out energy to use elsewhere. Call in and move forward. The key is to hold the line with our more privileged siblings to act. They can do it and need to if they want to live. They are responsible for upholding the system that harms them, as are WE if we rage and harm each other. Emotional, psychic, and physical harm on other bodies replicates the trauma of oppression. In judgment and blame, we make ourselves big. Cycle Breakers, we need to be strategic with our energy and focus on amplifying the light by joining the communities who will protect and act alongside us. That’s what we’ve been building capacity for this week in all the groups. It’s been amazing to hold that container for you. 🙌🏽 Build capacity to believe you are worthy of being protected from the expectation of perfection or the “right way” things should unfold. Build capacity for freedom and being loved for who you are right now. When we turn our attention and energy to pour into the communities/people already doing the work, those willing to put their bodies on the line to protect each other we amplify our power and heal the trauma of colonialism-the belief that one group of people should claim full access to the resources over another.

How are folks in the eastern USA feeling about the storm? I’m feeling as prepared as I/we can be but am worried about others. My little, teen, and FA are definitely taking turns at the wheel. 😅

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTyv_4QjmwN/?igsh=Yjd5NWpmZHY1dm9r Let me know how this reel lands.