Fun at the salon for a long past due hairdo.
My Dear Modern Women,
I looked at the date of the last time I wrote to you to realize that it’s far too long. I apologize for being out of touch, but I am beyond words right now. Usually writing comforts me, but right now I just don’t have the energy.
What is going on in our country and around the world is breaking my heart, enraging, and traumatizing me. On top of it all, my brother is having health problems, and more than anything our family wants to be together – and can’t.
I’m not saying this to gain your sympathy. It is simply my truth right now. I thought I was comfortable with being uncomfortable, but everything stacking up on each other has just become too much. And now - murder hornets.
Of course, I will persevere. I’m a survivor, baby! Some days are better than others, especially when I’m consciously practicing self-care. There have been bright spots. Watching the summer solstice sunrise over Stonehenge live on Facebook with 55 thousand other people around the world was an uplifting, beautiful experience that renewed my faith in humanity.
Pain forces change and help us learn and look at the world through other perspectives. Broadening our minds by seeing other points of view is how we learn and grow. This is why travel is so important. A cheaper form of travel – reading – lets us see the world through other eyes. I still love the saying, “Free your mind, and the rest will follow.”
If you’ve met me before, you know that when something bothers me, I need to take action. Maybe that’s why I’m out of words. I need a little less conversation, a little more action. (With me, Elvis fans?)
That’s why I’m bringing back Activate! Advocacy Training with a panel discussion on Thursday, July 9 from 6 to 8:30 PM. I’m putting together a panel of women activists to talk about what we can do to safely advocate for what we believe in and value. There’s a lot that can be done, beyond attending protests.
This panel will focus on the Black Lives Matter movement. As a white woman, I’d like to know what I can do to help and even how to talk about these issues. This will be a safe space to respectfully ask what you want to know and hopefully gain a better understanding of what this is all about. It will be a powerful experience and I hope you can join us. (Learn more about it here.)
Because COVID cases are increasing again, I have decided to make this an online-only event. The panelists and I will be safely distanced in the same room, along with an assistant to help run the technology. That seems like enough people together right now. I’m excited that women, and men, can join us from anywhere across the world and don’t want to limit how many people can attend. I’ve just beefed up my technology, so everyone will be able to see and hear each other better.
The cost for this session is our usual $35, and $15 of each full-price ticket will go to Black Women Empowered in Wichita, whose board I joined in March. (BWEIW focuses on the mental health wellness of Black Women and to provide information about the resources needed for Black Women to heal.)
Student tickets are available for this class for $10. There are some scholarships available for people who would like to attend but can’t come up with the ticket price. (Email me for more information about scholarships.) It is my goal to have as many people as possible at this event. Please help me spread the word! Here’s a link you can share to pass the word along https://bit.ly/Activate792020.
I may not have the words right now, but I remember another time when I felt this way and did. It was right after my trip to Birmingham, Alabama for the National Federation of Press Women conference. I’d never spent so much time in a place with a history of slavery, and it brought up a lot of strong emotions in me.
Here’s the post I wrote at the time. Although it’s been nearly three years and so much has happened since I still believe today what I believed then – Love wins.
Let’s come together and talk. This is too important to be silent.
Headmistress Jill
Because We’re Never Finished
The Finishing School for Modern Women, located in Wichita, Kansas, offers classes to help women find their authentic selves; not because we need finishing, but because we’re never finished. We bring together women of all ages, to learn from experts and each other, how to claim our power in business, finance, communication, and life.
To learn more about our in-person and online classes
https://www.finishingschoolformodernwomen.com for our classes and free social membership.
Contact Us Phone: 316-841-8927 Email: jill@finishingschoolformodernwomen.com
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