Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 🎅🏾🎄

From myself, Benji, and Theodore, the newest addition to our family.

December 25, 2024

Hi everyone,

I hope you’re all enjoying this warm yet frosty Florida winter and the time off work to spend with loved ones this holiday season.

If you haven’t heard, I’m a mom! 👩🏽‍🍼 Meet Theodore Jean Charles, who arrived on December 2nd and has been an absolute joy. Although it feels like the world is trending towards chaos — which we should embrace, not ignore — Benji and I look forward to raising Theo and instilling deep values in him based on community, love, and resilience.

Theo :)

Since becoming a mother, I’ve felt a heightened sense of passion and dedication toward protecting our families from regressive politicians and elites unwilling to introduce overdue change in Florida, where economic stability and safety should be attainable for all of us. But neglect and a casual culture of indifference stand in the way.

I know all of us make sacrifices to fulfill the responsibilities we have in our lives. We go without to make sure our loved ones have what they need. This is standard behavior for us, but what about for our elected officials and political leaders?

When will they go against the status quo to finally protect and serve the people who elected them into their seats?

When will we require them to be responsible and fulfill our needs — just like we do for our loved ones?

Our contradictory actions remind me of this post I saw on Reddit:

Why are we constantly giving peace, silence, and begrudging acceptance to those who don’t deserve it? When will we stop rewarding bad behavior?

With the new year just days away, I hope we all reflect on how we can change our actions to usher in a future that will allow our families to thrive. A future where politicians and leaders feel responsible for fulfilling their responsibilities and will be held accountable if they don’t.

So, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and see you all in the New Year!

Talk soon,

Shelby