Illegitimi non carborundum

It is my firm belief that hope is not only a human right, but also, as Austin Channing Brown says, a human responsibility and duty. My instinct this week has been to sink into my feelings of fear, despair, disappointment, and anger — and while I’m holding space for each of those valid emotions and giving myself and others the grace to feel all the above, I’m also choosing to use this space here to share some light. If you’re not in a place for that, I’m not offended — skip this one and do what you need. Please don’t take this as me burying my head in the sand or ignoring reality — instead, see it as what it is: a refusal to let negativity win and a fight for all that’s light, joyful, and hopeful.

The current stars in my sky:

• Music: If you’re local to Chicago, I’d love to see you tonight at The Hideout, where synth-indie-pop band (and my dear friends) Cal in Red are performing (tickets here!). If you’re not local to Chicago, you can still listen to Kendall’s sweet-ass voice by streaming their new album, Low Low. My favorite song on the album is “Kitchen” (with James Mercer of The Shins!), and my favorite part of the album’s cover design is the fact that it says “All Wrights Reserved” instead of “All Rights Reserved,” as both members of the band have the last name Wright. Little joys make the world go round.

• Books: I started listening last week to the audiobook version of Ina Garten’s new book, Be Ready When the Luck Happens — and as it turned out, it’s become the perfect balm for my stressed-out heart this week. Not only does Ina have the most soothing reading voice, but it’s also a true joy to listen to her speak about her travels through France, her love for her husband, and her desire to create a life filled with food, friends, and hard work. I’m a firm believer in the value of comfort shows (if I’m at home and not sitting at my desk working, there’s a good chance that Gilmore Girls or Friends is on my TV), but turns out there are comfort books too. I can already see myself coming back to this one, if only to hear Ina’s descriptions of her favorite pastries in Paris.

• TV: Both of the current seasons of Dancing with the Stars and The Golden Bachelorette are bringing me a lot of joy. I hope Joey wins DWTS, and I hope they do a Golden version of Bachelor in Paradise.

• Getting Involved: Yesterday, I set up a recurring monthly donation to The Loveland Foundation, which helps provide access to therapy and other resources for communities of color, with a particular focus on Black women and girls. As I said on IG, I’m sharing this not to pat myself on the back but to hopefully inspire others to do the same, and to work to make support for Black women louder and more vocal than the voices of their oppressors. Love beats hate when we express it loudly and proudly.

• Family: My nephew has been learning about elections and presidency in kindergarten — and apparently, last week, he told his mom (my sister) that he “hopes his little sister doesn’t ever become president.” Despite his apparent lack of support for her future political career (???), it brings me a lot of joy to think about the fact that his almost-six-year-old brain can’t imagine that his smart, opinionated, strong-willed sister couldn’t be president.

• And Finally, a Laugh at My Expense Because You Deserve It: The company I work for recently began experimenting with an AI note-taking software — it listens to our meetings (as we tell it to) and provides summaries and takeaways. After one such important work call, the software emailed me the meeting’s summary, which included the below. Have we considered that AI might be going too far???

Take care of yourself and take care of each other.

XO,

Gail