On Being Gay and Raising a Family in Tennessee
Our experience living here might surprise you
Dearest reader,
How was your weekend? Today is an exciting day in our house because it was the first day of school! I like to think of the first day of school as a return to the rhythm that works best for our family. During the summer months, we tend to sleep in a bit, and our kids are at the ages where they can wake up before us and be on their own just fine, but I don’t necessarily love that set up. I enjoy getting up early and having my quiet coffee time before the house wakes up, which is exactly what I do during the school year. What can I say? I’m a morning person, I guess.
Our family also thrives on routines. The structure of waking up early, the kids going to school, us going to work out and then spending the rest of the day working until they get home, and then us making dinner and hanging out as a family before going to bed and doing it all over again just works for us. Plus, school starting again is a reminder that crisper, cooler weather is on the way and we can all stop pretending to actually like the hot, humid, sweaty months of summer. The end is in sight, friends! I even bought some candle wax for our wax warmer that smells like kitchen spice to get us in the fall spirit.
In other news, and speaking of family, we spoke to Newsweek about our foster to adopt journey and they wrote up the sweetest article highlighting foster care and the importance of it! You can click here to read it, if you want. Thank you, Daniella, for the article! And if you missed it, here is a gift link (from a sweet reader named Clinton) for our Washington Post article that came out a few weeks back about our family’s journey as well. Thanks, Clinton!!!
Meanwhile, PJ had his 20 year high school reunion this past weekend and, after saying we wouldn’t go all week, we decided to just do it at the last minute! And I’m so glad we did. I wrote all about it in Keep & Delete towards the end of this issue.
Lastly, the energy has been magnetic the last few weeks, don’t you think? Especially after this announcement today!!!!
Okay! Let’s get to it
Watch: Simone Biles Rising
Like the rest of the world, I am on an Olympic kick this week. And also like the rest of the world, I am completely in awe of Simone Biles. She is such a force and an inspiration for anyone who watches her, no matter who you are or where you’re at in life. This docuseries, with two of its episodes out now and the rest coming this fall (assuming they’re going to be documenting her Olympic run), shows a peek behind the curtain of who she is as a person and as an elite. The scenes with her mother are so heartwarming (especially when she calls her mom during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics saying she can’t compete and her mom tells her that’s okay and she made the right choice), and her sit-down interviews are real, raw, and to the point. Simone is the real deal and a true inspiration. I love her. Also,
, who write the wonderful newsletter wrote a great recap in their latest issue, if you want to read more about it.You can watch Simone Biles Rising on Netflix
Read: 24 Facts About the Olympics That Will Blow Your Mind
Did you know that from 1924-1992, the Winter and the Summer Olympics took place in the same year? Now, obviously, they’re on separate cycles and alternate every two years. This article features 23 other fascinating facts about the Olympics that were so fun to learn, like how “the official languages of the games are English and French, complemented by the official language of the host country.” WHO KNEW?!
Click here to read the rest of them, and here’s another article from Buzzfeed that is hilarious and also kind of unbelievable
Listen: Serial Season 4
I became obsessed with season one of Serial back in 2015, and then, like most people, was let down with the release of season two. It just didn’t have that same wow factor the previous season did, but I am hearing season four is amazing so I’m excited to give it a listen! It focuses on Guantánamo Bay, which sounds fascinating enough, and I do miss Sarah Koenig’s narration of the series. Have you already listened?
You can listen to Serial wherever you get your podcasts.
On Being Gay and Raising a Family in Tennessee
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why we still live in our small town, the same one we both grew up in, when we could move literally anywhere else.