#israelsaidit

... but I'm not looking to fall in love.

I thought I was reaching for her heart, I was really reaching for my own...

The Best Mornings. I enjoy waking up and talking with my daughter, doing her hair and laughing. Times like these cant be replaced, times like these teach her, her worth.

UNTITLED. They want us to be so quiet. Pins drop and body counts rise Hear their truths While ignoring what we see with our own two eyes, Lies laid down at out feet... Expected to be Accepted as our due They want us to be so quiet. So mute. But that silence is deafening, And when we taught ourselves to speak with a twist of our fingers They saw a "problem" become more absolute They want us to be so quiet. Whispered riots born in the hearts of kings and queens renamed nigger, Emerging in us, the multitude of generations removed, Who still feel the hum of our native tongue each time they try to ignore what they've done They want us to be so quiet. Because now we put our hands up and don't believe they won't shoot their weapons, We put our hands up because after one sad lesson, Hands up went from surrendering, to reaching for the Angels in heavens They want us to be so quiet Let us not disturb their peace, Let us not react They want us to be so quiet About the strangeness of our fruit And the lashes on our backs They want us to be so quiet. But I promise our voices will be the loudest They want us to be quiet about our pride But our black , our black will be the proudest They want us to be so quiet But we will not be silenced Hear us roar. Israel Mitchell

They want us to be so quiet but we will not be silenced.

I told my daughter that I loved her, nothing new there, so it's not a reminder just a statement of fact. She is mine as much as she is hers, and I'm so very proud of that. I am helping to raise her to be a woman of good standards and morale, because well, that's my job. What happened in Orlando a few days ago hits home because I am raising a daughter to love even when people show her hate. She is my only child and I am teaching her about all her brothers and sisters and their different, beautiful walks of life. She is my direct responsibility and I am hoping that she understands that we are all her direct responsibility. Nothing can change what has happened, but we can change what MAY happen if we continue to allow hatred to thrive. WE WON'T. To every single person affected, we love you, nothing new there so it's not a reminder, just a statement of fact. #Israelsaidit

😏

I take my daughter on dates with just the two of us. I open the door for her and push in her chair (when I can). I let her lead the conversation and ask about her day. I put my phone down (excluding this picture, lol) and give her my undivided attention. I do this to help her set her standards and expectations high, so when she's older, she knows what to look for. With that being said, back to my date.