March madness, indeed
For the record: I am not mad about a lot of things right now and I am mad about plenty of things right now.
Spring is springing in Central Texas as is clear by the thin film of neon yellow powder covering anything that is out of doors for more than an hour. The plants are getting it on and telling us ALL about it. Its inspiring. I am doing what I can to leave time in my days for some wandering as our outside season of bliss is ending in the coming weeks when the extreme heat and humidity arrive to stay through Halloween. The Central Texas cadence of the winter being when we can’t wait to get outside, when the days are glorious and the nights are a delight, still surprises me each year although I meet these months with more presence each year. Good job, me.
As I savor these last weeks of gentleness in our daily weather programming I am taking it all in. Working when I work, playing when I play, rest when I am resting. Repeat. Soaking up every minute I can get with my teens who are starting to map their next chapters in their own lives. I am doing internal work with myself on the shadows that continue to accompany me on my path even when I through I’d bid them farewell. What stories do I keep alive that do not serve me? Why? And oh hey, it’s cool, I can set them down anytime.
What I am mad about right no: all the usual shit out there in the wider world. Harm, antisemitism, poverty, addiction, the way that social media is stealing from our relationships, racism, hatred, climate change, erosion of voter rights and all of the other rights. That my shoulders hurt now that I am lifting weights again. That Peaky Blinders is over. Missing my siblings.
What I am not mad about: most elements of my daily life. The people that I love. How I get to spend my days. Sleeping. Swimming. Eating. Walks in the not yet too hot sunshine. My kids when they laugh together. Making bad art and not caring. How much I love my husband. My work, collaborators, and colleagues. How great my body feels, mostly.
Passover is this weekend, how I adore this holiday. Adam and I hosted our first Seder together when we live in Hanoi. In the 21 years since then we’ve hosted Seders each year as a medium to gather our people, paying specific attention to the quality of our connective tissue that binds us to one another. I love this time of year when we gather to read a book together (swwwoooooonnnnnn) and recommit to justice for all. Sign. Me. Up.
Each year I rewrite a Haggadah for the Seder meal according to what feels most relevant to me in that season. This year I wanted to lean hard on what art can inspire in us through this story AND to pull focus on the long Jewish tradition of fighting fascism. So that is what you will find in this year’s Haggadah that I created for us: art, music, poetry, food as storytelling, and some reminders about the role we all play in keeping each other safe. We also have tickets available for our community Seder later in the month if you’d like to join us. We’d really love to see you.
Hoping that these words find their way to you wherever you are today with the love, warmth, and invitation towards art + community that they are intended. Hoping that whatever your spring days look like in 2026 that you are feeling safe, cherished, and valued. You are, by me, every damn day.
