BEST of SHETROIT … We ran Tameka’s story in 2012 after she had her FIRST-born Miles. We’re featuring it now on the occasion of her SECOND child, Naima, starting to walk … (GO Tameka!) I’m the type of young woman who always wanted a family. As a little girl, I played with baby dolls, feeding […]
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“Mommy, Can I Be Made in Detroit if I’m White?”
I love living in Detroit and I want other people to know my sentiment. That’s why I’m inspired to use my kids as billboards to broadcast that. Most recently, I bought them t-shirts with the “Made in Detroit” logo. I merely wanted them to share my enthusiasm, but my 8-year-old daughter got a completely different […]
Warning: Parental Tantrum Ahead
The other day, my daughter was upset that my son wouldn’t hug her. Before that, my son was angry that he couldn’t ride his bike. A tantrum usually results with one or the other on the floor crying. They’re both well beyond the stage where this is age appropriate, but that’s a topic for another post. […]
When the Action Hero Wants to Save the World and the Doll Wants to Party
My 5-year-old was spinning his Spiderman figurine in the air and excitedly declared, “Spiderman is getting ready to help in an emergency!” Not to be outdone, my 8-year-old-daughter gripping Ariel, her princess doll, chimed in, “Ariel is getting ready for a party!” Ok, let’s review. The action hero is surging forth to do good and […]
Here’s How to Get Up, Admit Your Self-Worth Fears and Own Your Greatness
When was the last time you curled-up into in a ball of shame and let those judging voices in your head tell you how inadequate and pathetic you are? If that sounds familiar, read on … as this Detroit woman, a leader in our community, rescued herself from the scathing criticism of a total stranger. […]
A Tailor-Made Mother for a Child with a Disability
When I was young, other kids occasionally made fun of me for being short or walking differently or using a wheelchair. My mom helped me emotionally and intellectually understand a world that could be unfair and discriminatory. She always took the time to talk to me about how this made me feel, letting me cry, […]
My Young Mother’s Secret Miracle (Me!)
My grandmother would always tell my mother, Bridget, “If you ever have a baby, I’ll kill you!” That came from a woman who was strict about the rules of her home and the expectations of our current society’s vision of what a “young lady”should be. These values rang true in everything my mother did. She […]
How to be a Loving Daughter to Hard to Love People
My parents refused to let me be at the hospital when my mother was scheduled to have extensive surgery on her spine. “You’re busy,” my mother said. “I don’t need you there,” my dad told me, almost annoyed that I would even ask. Though I’m in my forties, they see me as just a kid, […]
The Foot-in-Your-Mouth Approach to Adoption
My mother was silent all the way through dinner. I was out with her, my stepfather and sister when I broke the news – right in the middle of the restaurant. “Joe and I have decided to adopt,” I said matter of factly. It was 2008 and Joe and I had been married for three […]
Shouldn’t We Respect Pregnant Women & Their Fragile State?
Society has a problem. A major problem. Anytime news outlets and pop culture fans deem it okay to talk about pregnant women and their children in a negative way, there’s a definite issue. While perusing the internet I stumbled upon this article on the DailyMail.com. In the article the author calls out Kim Kardashian for […]