Tiffany Painter

I rewatched Becoming about Michelle Obama and it made my heart hurt. I try to be a safe space away from politics, but I just have to say I miss a time when there was a feeling of hope. That even when things were difficult and our leaders didn’t agree on solutions, there was hope that we all were fighting the same fight. Some people might have had one approach to a problem and another group thought their ideas were better, but everyone was working toward the same goal – a country that provided liberty and justices for all. You could be a glass is half full kind of person or a glass is half empty because at least there was a glass. That glass is shattered right now. It isn’t half of anything. I remember what it felt like when Michelle was working hard to raise children up through education, promote healthy living with nutrition and physical activity, and advocate for communities with poverty awareness. People could believe the wheels of justice were moving in the right direction. The government was actually there to serve the people rather than themselves. Nobody should be profiting from the downfall of a nation, especially not the people put in power to protect it. Like I said, my heart is sad and misses a time when Michelle Obama was our First Lady. I am going to try to find that feeling of hope again with her latest book, The Look. It’s not much, but I’ve read all of her other books and have listened to her solo podcasts. I can also listen to her laugh with her brother on their shared podcast IMO. I mean what’s more American than interviews with Carol Burnett and Henry Winkler by a brother and sister? Sorry for the political topic today, but never sorry to support Michelle Obama and her messages of hope. I am thankful for all the people out there trying their best.

Reading update: I absolutely loved The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner. It is a novel in verse about a boy climbing the 46 Adirondack High Peaks to make up for a crime he committed. Over the course of the summer, he begins to find his way through life’s challenges.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evan’s is worth all the hype. The story is told through letters written by and to a woman over the years. So much of yourself can be revealed on paper.

Other books I enjoyed are Life, Loss, and Puffins by Catherine Ryan Hyde – I like all of her books and this did not disappoint – Dog Show:Poems by Billy Collins – there is a reason he was a U.S. Poet Laureate – and Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson and read by Marin Ireland – something quirky to distract from the dumpster fires all around.

1/31

best part of Vegas
Not found under flashing lights
outside with the birds

2/5

how do I tell him
it’s really not meant for him
when the dog’s in charge

2/7

hiding from world
found this quiet spot to rest
tucked away at peace