I'm tired. I've been running from one activity to the next for the last few months. From work to the children to my extended family, the need for my body to be in what feels like multiple places at once has taken a toll.

This past week, Kathleen, a SHMOM Alumna and our SHMOM facilitator, and I were hosting the last session of the July/Aug/Sept SHMOM group. We were talking about achievement in the context of our professions and for whatever reason my mind wandered to the thought, "Our children aren't achievements."

Yesterday, Ila and I ran a 5K. We didn’t exactly run together because at this point, that child is much faster than I am. Her coach suggested she register so she could get in her weekend workout and become familiar with road races, as this was her first.

Earlier this year, Szilvia's book The Nursery, which so honestly and poetically depicts the realness of postpartum depression, was published. In her New York Times book review, writer Claire Dederer said, “Our narrator seems to approach motherhood as a fight, a fight for which she is as ill-prepared for as any young soldier who finds himself at the front.”

We just got back from Oregon this week. Now I'm in Houston for the James Beard Foundation's Women Entrepreneurial Leadership Summit. The summer hecticness is over. And so begins the fall back-to-school rush combined with the final quarter of the year busyness.

We’ve spent the last week in Oregon with Nick’s family. We make a point to get together for a week each summer to get some out of the city together. On the plane ride headed out west, I was finally able to see Couples Therapy. It’s a show I’ve been meaning to watch.

Today, watching Zadie in her fourth wrestling class reminded me of consistency's power, even when you're unsure. Showing up, taking action, receiving feedback, and applying the learning moves the needle.

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.