Curfew

A couple of weeks ago, I was on a date one Wednesday night when the girls were with their dad. I hadn't specifically told them I was going, but Emily had a pretty good idea that I was out, as she had caught me trying on outfits that were unmistakably date-ish. When Sara asked Em to let her use her phone so she could call me, Em shared her suspicions.

"I think she's on a date, kid."

Sara was incredulous. "What? She didn't tell me she was going out! And it's after 9! Dates don't last until 9:00!"

She called anyway.

I missed her call. :)

Blessings and Beginnings

What a whirlwind...so much about this weekend was wonderful! I had the girls, which are always the best weekends. The temperatures dropped into the 50s on Friday, and the season's first pot of potato leek soup simmered on the stove all afternoon. It was beautiful... 

Saturday, my sweet friend Eric invited me to the OU-Tennessee game, which we watched from his suite...I'm afraid I have been ruined for life, and will never want to sit in the stadium again. The boys delivered a win, and I met some lovely people and watched from an incredible vantage point.

A little before 5am on Sunday, I got a message from Emily that she was in labor. Less than an hour later, Harper arrived, and she is gorgeous and perfect in every way. Never has the Universe wanted a baby to be here more than with this child, and her momma is lucky to have the love and support of an extended family that cares for her unconditionally. 

Sunday afternoon, the girls and I got to meet a new friend before we headed off to the fair with Ashley, where we engaged in a little gluttony, rode the swings, and marveled at humanity.

There is so much to be thankful for...for my girls, good friends, fall, potato soup, beautiful sunsets, football suites, the blessing of new life and new beginnings, and the fair. I ask prayers for my friend...and all the obese women in crop tops I saw today. :)

Ray Rice Should Die in a Fire...Reflections on Domestic Violence

The video is utterly horrifying....or at least it should be, for anyone who has a soul. Ray Rice and his fiancée walk into an elevator. They begin to argue. He strikes her once, across the face. She lunges at him and spits in his face. He punches her so hard she crumples to the ground, unconscious from the blow.

Yes, the Ravens were right to release him from his contract. Yes, the NFL was right to ban him indefinitely. To do any less would be to condone his behavior. To do any less would make it okay.

It's not okay.

I don't care that she married him after it happened. I don't care that she spit in his face. It wouldn't matter if she'd called his mother a whore. SHE IS THE VICTIM. It isn't her fault.

Ray Rice can shout from the rooftops all day long that it was a one time mistake. He is lying. Watch the video. Watch how easy it was for him. Watch him drag her unconscious body out of the elevator and lay her facedown in the hall, then nudge her to the side with his foot. Ray Rice has done this before. The one time mistake he's referring to is getting caught.

Stop calling her stupid. Stop blaming her for staying. You can't understand what it's like until you've been there, terrified of someone who is supposed to love you. You don't know what he says or what threats he's made. She needs help. She needs compassion. She is one in four women in this country. Just read the #WhyIStayed feed on twitter.

Most importantly, stop tolerating it. Don't excuse it. Don't walk by and pretend not to see. Don't let them play. Ever.