Explore 2019: Faith In Friendships

How did you do with friendships as a kid? I was so insecure about them, given that our family was kind of a hot mess and it was really, really hard to live in a predominantly white, affluent neighborhood (my family was the opposite of those two things).

But let me tell you about a current narrative. Isabel Kallman (@alphamom + @feedourdemocracy) is a friend I met through blogging ages ago and time and again over the years she has surprised me with incredible acts of kindness and generosity. Not because that is surprising for HER -- anyone who knows Isabel knows this is who she is! -- but because even after all these years I still carry bits of that girl who so very badly wanted to be loved and included... so loving acts still surprise me.

When Isabel was getting ready to launch Feed Our Democracy, she asked if I would design the logo and I was like, OF COURSE and also PLEASE DON'T EVEN TRY TO PAY ME FOR IT. Don't get me wrong, I love money and believe in women getting paid...but in this particular case I just wanted to do something for Isabel and her amazing new citizen activism project.

So yesterday when Isabel tracked me down at Mom 2.0 and gifted me with this amazing Emily McDowell tote and also cookie versions of the logo I designed (OMG you were busy this week Hayleycakes and Cookies) I was obsessed with it all: creativity, activism, tastiness, beauty, female power, and clearly....real and true friendship. I am officially letting go of the baggage of my childhood with full and real faith in my friendships.