I direct a local daycare center. Our policy is strict: pick-up is at 6:00 PM, and it's a $2 late fee for every minute past that. At 6:45 PM, a young mother burst through the doors, completely out of breath and wearing hospital scrubs. Her late fee was $90. "I am so sorry," she cried, hugging her toddler tightly. "The hospital was severely understaffed, and they mandated I stay for the shift change. I know I have to pay the fee. Just please don't kick us out of the program. She looked like she hadn't slept in a week. I logged into the billing system, highlighted the $90 fee, and hit delete. I went to our kitchen, packed up three leftover servings of the kids' baked ziti dinner, and handed her the warm bag. "System shows you picked him up at 5:59," I told her with a wink. "Take this home so you don't have to cook tonight." Rules are meant to maintain order, but empathy is meant to maintain humanity.
my mom dropped a gem: “you can't spend your life avoiding heartbreak or bad things from happening. you have to condition yourself to have appropriate emotional responses but learn to keep moving forward” whewww
first words Sonya Massey said at her front door were “don’t hurt me”
she was told “why would we hurt you, you called us”
when have those words meant anything when your black and woman in this country
when do those words protect you from not being murdered in your kitchen, in your bedroom, with your babies, or on your lawn
what is “reassurance”, in this place ?
rest in power Sonya Massey, and an abundance of love and power to Sonya’s family on this journey