11. Gratitude in this new season
thank you
We have 1.5 months left of this year. Since becoming a mom, I’ve become so much more aware of time. The time I have, the time I do not have. I think what’s helping me get through each day is gratitude. This NPR Life Kit episode reminded me to embed gratitude as a daily practice.
It’s still an adjustment going from being a busy freelance photographer to being a stay at home mom. I know this isn’t permanent. As with most things in life, this is temporary. I’m waiting on a few grants for an international reporting trip. Though I may not be producing as much work right now, I am using this time to dream, imagine and plan on things I’d like to work on in the future.
I’ve been able to do a few assignments here and there, but am learning to prioritize my physical and mental health especially in this new season. I appreciate editors reaching out, peers passing off assignments to me and even the opportunities at home to keep creating.
Thank you for still being here with me. Thank you for seeing me and connecting with me ✨
Recent Work…
In September, I was sent to Vare-Washington Elementary School in Philadelphia to photograph a first grade class for a larger special project about schools and education across the country. The New York Times looked at how the pandemic has forced a hard look at the state of education.
I met Angel Lamung, a former beauty queen from Myanmar, who fled her country after she was put on a wanted list for joining protests against the military regime.
‘Lamung was among 20 celebrities charged under a new law outlawing dissenters. By the United Nations’ count, 1,500 people were killed in demonstrations and more than 10,000 were “unlawfully detained” in the first year after the coup.
Lamung managed to escape last spring, fleeing to the United States as a refugee. From the safety of a spare bedroom in a family friend’s house on the East Coast, she fundraises for humanitarian aid and speaks out in support of the largest civil disobedience movement in Myanmar’s history.
“I would rather leave everything that I love than give in to the dictatorship,” Lamung remarked in a clip on her YouTube channel.’
I met the Collins’ for a story about how billionaires like Elon Musk are trying to save civilization by having many children. But the catch is - the children are genetically superior than your average kid.
Other recent things…
I highly recommend listening to Glennon Doyle’s conversation with Tricia Heresey (The Nap Ministry) about how to finally get rest (and the connection to our current capitalist way of life to slavery)
I’m listening to Simu Liu’s audiobook “We Were Dreamers” which is entertaining, a bit overly dramatic, and somewhat relatable.
Some work I’ve enjoyed recently
NPR - These images are how one woman tried to cope with her mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis by Alicia Vera
NPR - A pro-fat camp for women? Sign me up by Jackie Molloy
TIME - A Vibrant North Korean Community in London Finds Its Days Are Numbered with photos by Michael Vince Kim