Raising a Glass to the Rally—Happy (belated) New Year!
There is magic in moments that succinctly summarize the broader context in which they occur. These magical moments, in their rare occurrences, draw our heart’s attention to the beautiful, right-in-front-of-us details that may have been missed otherwise. One such moment found my family earlier this month. Born out of the unintentional ordinary; sparked by a […]
Growing Slow
Would you rather be timed while swimming laps back and forth in a pool for an hour or float around in the sunshine with a fruity drink with a fancy paper umbrella? This is a no-brainer for me. I am team fruity drinks and fancy umbrellas all day, every day. And, it turns out, so […]
Does Allyship Matter in Non-Diverse Communities?
Did you know that you can practice allyship skills even if you don’t live in a “diverse community”? Ask me how I know! It’s a myth that one has to live in a diverse community in order to learn about, value, or practice allyship. I am real-life proof . I grew up in the middle […]
Saying No
Have you ever been in an “Is this even real life” situation where you look around in exasperation and ask yourself with genuine concern, (and, you’ll have to add your own swears because I’m trying to keep it family friendly around here) “How did we get here?” I don’t know if this is just the […]
Allies Build Boundaries, Not Walls
It’s September 2022 and after what felt like the longest, most unwanted break from writing about allyship, I am coming in hot, live from my new office on the second floor of our new home in Ohio! You read that right. We haven’t been super public about it, but this year Kelvin and I sold […]
Making New Friends
Would you believe me if I told you that on Memorial Day weekend this year, Kelvin and I packed the kids up in the cars and moved across the country? It was the five day road trip finale of a long season of figuring out where God wants us to call home, and we were […]
008: Who Does Allyship Benefit?
007: Allyship’s Enemy Number One: Denial
007: Allyship’s Enemy Number One What common threat jeopardizes our allyship journeys? Denial. It’s the first step of twelve step programs for a reason—if we can’t see the problem, we certainly won’t seek a solution. If our allyship is the solution, we have to fight against our own denial to identify our connection to the […]
006: The Role of Grace in Adoption & Allyship
006: The Role of Grace in Adoption & Allyship How does the way we think about grace impact our adoption and allyship journeys? This is not an exaggeration—it can be the difference between repeatedly hurting our loved ones with our good intentions or making meaningful progress in helping them feel seen, heard, and valued for […]
005: The Truth About Learning To Ally
005: The Truth About Learning To Ally What does every allyship journey have in common? It’s a life long learning experience. Jamie lends her teacher insight into the learning process, explains why all meaningful learning is challenging and offers several strategies to push through when things get tough, so you’re less likely to give up […]