I’m back.
Only in the same way that an illusionist appears from behind a curtain—I was never really gone. But I’m a cheap illusionist. I don’t have a grand reveal, just a simple “heya” as I poke my head out from the poorly-lit stage right. This re-entrance was never destined to be graceful.
This newsletter is not about to become a confessional, or a catalog of my learnings, eager for little gold star stickers and an A-double-plus acknowledgement. My flair for dramatics will remain, but only in the context of things like feelings and crocheted squares and Josh Groban and high school dances and sourdough (you didn’t think I would NOT mention sourdough, did you?) But there must be no theatrics when learning how to be a better ally; it’s not a gig for method actors, it is an embarrassing and true becoming of who we should have been all along.
Additionally, this space is not for me to air out my guilt like damp laundry when the dryer is still broken after all those months. Do you know how, when a shirt is draped over a chair to dry, it retains the shape of the backrest? How it crisps up into hard waves of chair-shaped wrinkles? I’d prefer to iron it and wear it in before I wear it out. The processing is the same; either way, my dirty laundry needs to be done, at home, by me.
As these notes start trickling back into my inbox (and yours, thank you for your patience), know that as I explore Emily, I’m exploring empathy, too. I invite that for you, too—a daily self-interrogation of who we are, where we’re going, and how we can make sure everyone has the gear we need for the journey. (I can only hope these metaphors bridge the gap between sadness and relief, without ignoring the work it takes to cross.)
Maybe there’s space here to offer a smile, to offer respite, or maybe to offer encouragement to fight or to be unquestioningly brave. Or maybe there’s space here to give you the relief of hitting “unsubscribe” (😂)
Godspeed, and wherever you’re going, I hope it’s forward.
Next Steps: Drink a glass of water, and quite honestly you know the rest. Find a way to make a material difference today.