On Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights and Dallas

I inadvertently took a blog break earlier this week because of travel… then I intentionally stayed quiet. It didn’t feel right to share recipes and products I love in the wake of what has happened over the span of these last few days. But the more I saw and the more I thought, the more I felt the need to say something.

I know this is nothing new, but the fact that we know this kind of violence breaks my heart. With each passing year, it feels like this violence escalates and more people lose their lives to it.

It hits extremely close to home. I spent years living, studying and working in Baton Rouge. My little family and I live in Dallas.

I don’t want my daughter to grow up in a world where black men are killed at routine traffic stops. I don’t want her to grow up in a world where police supporting peaceful protesters are killed by snipers. I don’t want her to grow up in a world where children are killed in their schools. I don’t want my daughter to grow up in a world where people are singled out and killed because of who they love.

But this is the world we live in.

I’m not one for political posturing. I know y’all don’t come here for that kind of commentary, but I would be remiss if I didn’t say something today.

We need more love, understanding and empathy; less hate and divisiveness.

Could we agree to be kind? To try to understand each other a little more? To use our words instead of turning to violence? And to make our communities safer, better places by listening to each other — really listening — and working together, instead of tearing each other down?

We’re more alike than we are different. And I think if we took the time to find our similarities, we could begin working together to make some necessary changes.

…

I realize this isn’t what any of you expected to read from me today, but it’s on my heart.

In the wake of last night’s news, author Daniel Abraham tweeted, “I believe we are a nation that can mourn the men killed by police and also the police who died tonight. There is no contradiction.”

Today and this weekend, let’s take time to mourn the lives lost. Alton Sterling. Philando Castile. The police officers in Dallas.

And when we get back to business as usual on Monday, let’s not forget how we feel, and let’s work together to make our nation a safer place, especially for those who feel unsafe, underrepresented and have systematically received no justice.