The weather has been beautiful, full of sunshine and crystal clear water. There’s really not much to report here, which is why this week’s post is all over the place. Tim had a wonderful time in Utah over the weekend. T.J. Maxx put Pierce back on their schedule last week, so he’s working again for now. Reagan will be 23 on Thursday. 23!! She’s had some freelance opportunities since graduating from MTSU this past December. So, the family is well.

In a previous post, I listed some things I planned to watch in February in honor of Black History Month. For 10 nights straight, I watched documentaries about mass incarceration, systemic racism, wrongful convictions, and the disproportionate suffering and death of black and/or poor people during Hurricane Katrina. It’s HEAVY. As well it should be. The stories I’ve heard are stories everyone should hear, because black people continue to be persecuted in this country. Here’s where this gets tricky. A steady diet of these documentaries left me with feelings of anger and despair. Normally I would say its good to be angry about social injustice. But I also have to consider my mission while I’m in Mexico. And that is keeping seasonal depression at bay. While I am not going to completely avoid documentaries and movies about awful and important issues, I’ve come to realize that mixing in some more lighthearted titles for the sake of my mental health is crucial. I encourage everyone to look at what’s available this month on the streaming platform of your choice and watch at least a couple of the documentaries I listed a few weeks ago.  We can’t improve situations that we willfully ignore.

I will be brief this week, as I have more pressing matters to attend to. Wednesday is Valentine’s Day and since these winter sabbaticals began 4 years ago, Tim and I have written something special for each other as a way to celebrate while we’re apart. I will leave it at that. Whether or not you choose to celebrate this day of love, I hope you have a wonderful week.