Lace Anniversary

 

 

 

13 years ago today

 

Happy Anniversary, Honey!

 

 



Dark Girls Premieres on OWN



 

Tonight, the documentary Dark Girls will premiere on OWN at 10 PM Eastern.  Dark Girls explores the bias in the black community against women with darker skin.  For my husband (who is white), colorism is a concept that is difficult to grasp.  To him, any black woman - whether light hued, dark or in between - is simply black!  The tone of her skin doesn't matter.  It doesn't speak of the character of the person.  Certainly, not their level of attractiveness.  As a dark-skinned black woman, I understand the pain that stems from colorism.  Growing up, I knew I could be anything, with hard work and good grades!  Anything that is, but beautiful, attractive, desirable.  Pretty was not the domain of girls like me.  While there should be more to a girl's life than her looks, we all know a certain degree of a young girl's self esteem comes from validation of the external.  For me, it took moving away from familial circles and into more diverse environments to find a space where my dark skin (and even my weight) were not a mark against me.  And, more importantly personal healing and self acceptance. 

 

It saddens me in this day and time, when we have a gorgeous, dark-skinned woman as First Lady, there are still little girls feeling and experiencing the hurt of colorism.  That don't want to exist in the beautiful, brown skin that God so wonderfully made them in. 



Mary Ellen

Really Random Stuff

 

My Big Sis & I

(she's rocking the bell bottoms, I'm rocking the pig tails!)

No time to blog...Last week was incredibly busy (as is this week!).  My oldest sister made her annual visit.  It's always good to be in her company.  And the kids quite enjoy the spoiling they receive when their Aunt is in town!  Added responsibilities have me on my toes at work.  It's almost as if I've been assigned another position while still working my current position.  Well, it's exactly like that!  But, at least there's an end in sight to the current insanity.  I just have to make it there!  The kids brought home their first of the school year sniffles and spread it around.  Happens every year about this time.  Thank goodness for Cold-Eeze!  My cold symptoms were pretty much gone by Friday.  Just in time for our weekend beach trip!  With all that, there's been very little time to blog.  So, I haven't shared my new vintage hats, my new canner, new-to-me work dresses, my garden (or lack thereof).  But, I'll get around to it. :)

Mountains to climb...I'm currently facing a mountain on a personal level.  Or, at least it seems like a mountain to me.  The enormity of the task has me doubting my ability to succeed.  But, I'm reminded of the verse in Matthew 17, "...for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you."   I must move a mountain!

Competitive Motherhood...I'm not a competitive person.  In fact, I probably shy away from it whenever possible.  Dave, on the other hand, is very competitive.  And working in a male-dominated company, so are most of the gentlemen at work.  In men, I respect and can even understand the competitive nature.  It's like iron sharpening iron.  Dave thrives on competition and he's really on top of his game in situations where he must compete.  But in women, I don't find it so appealing.  Especially as it relates to mothering.  I absolutely understand being proud of your children, being proud to be a wife and mother.  But, I don't understand the mindset involved when one mother attempts to make another feel less than.  I've always held the belief that if one is truly content in their life and the choices they've made, there's no room for comparing and competing with someone else.

Much ado about nothing...Recently, I came across some articles in what would be considered the "traditional" side of the blogosphere about interracial couplings.  The discussions were "interesting" to say the least!  As a person who is married interracially, I think from the outside looking in, there's a tendency to over inflate the role of racial differences.  And to a degree, that's understandable if someone has never dated or isn't married to someone of another race.  But, I think what you'll find with most interracial couples are two people who connected on shared values, beliefs and/or experiences.  My husband and I had similar values, similar upbringings (two-parent, Christian homes).  We connected simply as a man and a woman.  We were compatible and could absolutely see ourselves marrying another.  We didn't see being different races as some great divide between us.  It just isn't.  Not then, not now.

Well, that's all I got for now!

Mary Ellen 

12 Years & Counting!

 

September 2, 2000

David & Mary Ellen

 

Celebrating 12 years of wedded bliss!