Rhys is actually pretty close to eight months right now.
I usually celebrate his monthly birthdays with fun little digital sketches of the #worldofrhys - costumes and pop culture references included. At the start of this month, though, the time wasn’t right. I was pausing personal content to focus on the collective moment around racial justice.
As the personal posts come back, I hope it doesn’t mean the important discussions fade away. An important next step is to not let these conversations be the flavor of the month, but to learn how they integrate into our daily lives.
One of the things that’s encouraged me to be more vocal about justice has been thinking about the way Rhys will see and process these things as he grows up.
I want him to grow up in a home where...
🔹 We react immediately to racist comments
🔹 We discuss events in the news related to race openly and honestly, even when there aren’t easy answers
🔹 Our bookshelves, playlists, toy collections, etc. reflect diversity
🔹 He can confront us if we ever hold views that harm other people (hope that doesn’t happen, but hey, so did many people who currently hold harmful views)
🔹 We demonstrate mindful civic engagement
🔹 Our own cultural heritages, foods, and languages are acknowledged and proudly celebrated
🔹 We understand both the ways we are privileged and the ways we face disadvantages
🔹 Real friendships are formed with other families of different cultures and lived experiences
🔹 Questions are encouraged and celebrated
🔹 Differences aren’t looked at as weird, but celebrated
Just to name a few!