All year I have been writing blog posts chronicling Sean’s baby milestones, a happy memory from the month, and how I am feeling. I have also been describing the month in one word. For the past several weeks, I have been thinking carefully about how I would construct this post because the one word that keeps coming to mind is anger. Another is disillusioned. Still, none of those words really appropriately describe what I am feeling this month.

A few years back I read an article about a young Black man in Naperville. It was a column that ran in the Chicago Tribune by Brian Crooks about what it’s like to be Black in Naperville. It was based on a Facebook post he wrote about his experiences growing up. It was shocking and eye opening. And yet, I am ashamed to admit, one of my first thoughts was: Oh, that’s just Naperville.

What?!?! That right there is the problem that needs fixing. Many minds keep trying to excuse the inexcusable. It happens in the minds of police officers, grocery store workers, healthcare professionals, and stay-at-home moms. It exists everywhere. It happens automatically and it needs to stop..

I am not sure I know what the solution to this problem is. I do know my current ministry and mission is to be a good mama to my kids, so for me that is where it starts—at home.

I used to believe the best way to approach racism was to not talk about it at all because I truly want my kids to see everyone as exactly the same—regardless of the color of their skin. But I am beginning to realize how flawed that approach is. We need to talk about racism with our kids because it exists in our world, even if we don’t want it to exist. I have received some good advice already about how to approach this, but I am also always open to more ideas and suggestions.

My hope is by talking about it, we can make a different world for the next generation.

With that, happy six months Seany Bug. This post looks a lot different from the others this year, but the reality is that is my memory from this month; that is how I am feeling; those are my words. Hopefully the milestone will be that I educate you well and raise you in a way that you won’t just automatically excuse the inexcusable.