As I've been watching my kids and other kids at these sporting events and classes, what I've noticed is that they lean into the pain.

As an athlete, pain comes with the territory. If you're not feeling the burn or being pushed by someone who has more skills than you, are you even playing the game?

A couple of weeks ago, I got to meet a man named Joseph Holland. Originally from Hampton, Virginia, he moved to Harlem in his 20s after graduating from Harvard Law and turning down a corporate job in the early 1980s. He said he had been called to the neighborhood.

In 1992, he opened the only Ben & Jerry's that I believe has existed in our neighborhood. His reasons for doing so were not exactly our reasons, but his decision to operate for the six years that it was open paved the way for Nick and me to open Sugar Hill Creamery 25 years later.

Her courage and determination make us so proud.

Stepping onto any competitive stage can be daunting, but our girl rose to the challenge. We're excited to watch her continue to grow in this sport she loves. Running not only brings her joy but also teaches her valuable lessons about herself and life. Her journey is just beginning, and we can't wait to see where it takes her.

It’s taking a lot of courage for our 11-year old to run this race. It’s taking a lot of courage for me as her mother to manage my own thoughts about her safety and overall mental and physical wellbeing while she is out of my care.

When I embarked on my ice cream journey, I wanted a more flexible schedule. I wanted the opportunity to make more than I was making as an employee working in various arts and culture non-profits. I wanted to be able to respond to my family's needs at a moment's notice. I wanted to be able to volunteer at my kids' school when they needed me. And, I wanted to spend more time in my neighborhood building relationships with my neighbors.

I wanted all of these experiences. And, I can confidently say that all of them have come to pass…and yet, I am drowning.

I can honestly say that over the last seven years we have been focused on honing our craft in making delicious ice cream and building community. Over the years, we have been acknowledged for both, but my why for the work has never been to be known.

Asking for help is hard for many of us. We don't want to inconvenience other people, and we certainly don't want to be judged by them.

I became an ice cream company owner and operator because I needed to live life more on my own terms. I needed more time with my children and I wanted more time in my neighborhood.

We have been deliberating for weeks about what our Juneteenth ice cream flavor was going to be. Then, two weeks ago while I was feeling pretty sick, Nick walked into our room and asked if I knew Nicole A. Taylor. She is the author of Watermelon & Red Birds, the first cookbook celebrating Juneteenth food traditions.

He wanted to make an ice cream inspired by her Strawberry Sumac Cake.

I told him that I didn’t.

I’m sharing a collection of images from how we spent Father’s Day and a few calls to action that I hope you take.

I’ll start this week by saying that I feel terrible. I think one of my children got me sick and I feel worse than I did on Friday night. There is something going around so don’t forget all your COVID protocols, most of all wash your hands.

During our ice cream date, because ice cream dates trump coffee dates any day, we talked about writing and running food businesses. She shared the vision of the life she and her fiancée are working towards. I told her having a clear vision is half the battle for making any dream come true.

One of the commencement speeches was titled “Ambitious about Friendship.” In my graduation card, I shared with my nephew that part of the mission of college, in addition to the obvious learning, is finding your people. I feel grateful that I found my closest friends in undergrad. We weren’t in the same departments but we met each other at all of the campus student events hosted at the beginning of our freshman year.

Last week at our Inaugural SHMOM Gathering, I was chatting with one of the SHMOM alumna and her husband about how I’m Type B+. I coined this personality type for myself 10 or 15 years ago when I had had enough experience in professional settings to know that I was never going to be the person that was so anxious about my grades or my peers’ perception of me that I would stop at nothing to make sure I appeared perfect.

Yesterday, we hosted our Inaugural SHMOM Gathering. It was such a beautiful gathering of moms from the start of our group in 2018 to present. It felt like the most beautiful way to kick off today––in community with mothers who understand that thriving as a mother is not done alone.

This past weekend, I traveled to Rhode Island to see one of my nephews perform with his Taiko drumming ensemble. My sister flew in from California and we took a train to Providence to see him on Friday night.

This past weekend, I traveled to DC for the Black Women in Food conference. I was able to connect with folks working in food, writing about food, and those championing women who’ve committed their lives to food. It was such a generative and rejuvenating experience.

I just attended the Cherry Bombe Jubilee conference yesterday and met some lovely, lovely women in food. On the train to and from the midtown venue, I read The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make. My neighbor recently gave it to me in her seasonal purge of items. She is preparing to be an empty nester. Her youngest child was just admitted to Brown University and she was preparing for her departure by ridding herself of any child and parenting items that helped make her daughter’s collegiate acceptance a reality.

Nick and I just came back from a vow renewal ceremony in Kansas City. It was beautiful. But, as is customary after attending weddings, I am in no condition to “life.” We dragged ourselves home today from the airport and I’ve been watching early episodes of Grey’s Anatomy as I convalesce in preparation for Monday.

Moms from previous cohorts always seemed eager to hear my thoughts on raising kids because of my 10+ years in the game. But, I try not to adulterate their experience with my own because our paths will inevitably be different. Most importantly, I am only an 11 year old mom. Like a tween, there’s so much more for me to learn.