Today is the seventh anniversary of the day my daughter first breathed without medical assistance. It was six weeks after she was first born, and to be able to see her face – without tubes, without fear that she would stop breathing and turn blue – was one of the best moments of my life as a mother.
I’ve been thinking about this day a lot these last few weeks, as the latest Republican attempt to repeal Obamacare failed, and as communities in Puerto Rico, Mexico and beyond pulled together to try to help each other in the aftermath of devastation.
You don’t realize how we take the simplest things for granted – whether it’s breathing with our own healthy lungs or having access to clean water and a bed. Every day that we need to think about our basic necessities is a good day. I’m hoping for some more good days for all of us soon.
Glass Half Full
Beyoncé released a song this week, singing in Spanish, to raise money for the relief efforts in Puerto Rico. At least one of our national leaders is getting it right.
What I’m RTing
New from @KFILE: Possible a Sen. Roy Moore will oppose nominees on basis that they are openly gay. He did in 2006. https://t.co/1QV4UKT8M7
— Kyle Blaine (@kyletblaine) September 29, 2017
Never forget the indignities Gloria Steinem withstood for this undercover reporting of A Bunny's Tale. https://t.co/Elgr0RYfOS
— Soraya N. McDonald (@SorayaMcDonald) September 28, 2017
A man kneels with a folded U.S. flag as the POTUS motorcade passes him in Indianapolis. (Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst) pic.twitter.com/KrBlzhauai
— Colin Campbell (@colincampbell) September 28, 2017
Who I’m reading
Nicole Chung with a beautiful piece on being adopted and talking to her white family about Trump; Ta-Nehisi Coates in the Guardian with an excerpt from his new book; and Jean Peters Baker on the hardest phone call a prosecutor has to make.
What I’m writing
On Hugh Hefner’s death and myth that he launched the sexual revolution.
How outraged I am
While the Trump administration whines about athletes’ first amendment rights to protest, Puerto Rico is in dire need of assistance.
The acting secretary of homeland security, Elaine Duke, claimed that what’s going on in Puerto Rico is a “good news story”, though, ignoring all facts to the contrary.
I would have been at a full 10 out of 10 on the outrage scale, but the incredible mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz, shut Duke down so effectively it turned everything around (and reminded us of what’s really happening in PR).
San Juan mayor reacts to Homeland Security chief calling Puerto Rico a "good news" story: "This is a people are dying story." pic.twitter.com/8u913B3jWt
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) September 29, 2017
How I’m making it through this week
Baby elephant bath time. That about does it.
