My husband, Lateef, is my hero of the pandemic. Our family’s hero of the pandemic. I know it sounds corny, but a close friend of mine started referring to him as that whenever I mentioned something he did while we were all home sick with COVID. "Lateef, the true hero of the pandemic," she would say. It is hard for me to put into words how thankful I am for the way that Lateef took care of me and our children over the past few months. It was all the little things he did. He has been more than ...
Mental Health In The Age of COVID: Interview with Carmen Margaziotis
It is certainly not business as usual right now. We have protests against police violence and systemic racism going on all around the world, which is occurring in the middle of a global pandemic of epic proportions. It is more than normal to feel stressed and have some anxiety around the future the future right now. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Because each one of us is going through something different - whether you are single or have four kids, are unemployed or overworked with no ...
TOMORROW I Am Going to be on Oprah’s OWN Network – Fear Not
Just a reminder that I will be interviewed by Iyanla Vanzant on the special Fear Not on Oprah’s OWN Network this Saturday, June 6th at 9 p.m. ET/PT (it’s DirectTV channel 279, Spectrum channel 173 in LA and channel 279 on ATT UVerse). As I was writing this, I thought about the fact that Fear Not’s premise is around overcoming the stress, anxiety and uncertainty associated with COVID and the tools I and others used to heal from a mental health perspective. Those exact same coping mechanisms ...
What Can We as Black Mothers Do in the Face of Racial Injustice?
Friday afternoon I walked into the bedroom and my husband was wiping tears from his eyes after watching the video of George Floyd being murdered by the police. “I can’t concentrate on anything,” he said. We both spent most of Friday teary-eyed on and off and feeling like this is all just too much. Yesterday morning I woke up and texted three of my close black and brown friends - “We are all mothers of black boys. What are WE going to do??” What are we going to do in the face of all of this ...
Everything To Do In Los Angeles With Your Kids Right Now
Although in LA County we are under orders to wear face masks outside, over the past week, a lot has opened for Angelinos to start enjoying more outdoor activities. Our utmost priority right now is safety. But many are ready for a change of scenery from our neighborhood walks. And if you have children, you have also been trying to find ways to keep your kids active. The good news is, if we are safe and vigilant, we can venture out and get some much needed mental clarity in nature. Los Angeles ...
I Am Going to be on Oprah’s OWN Network – Fear Not
I am very excited to share that I was asked to be interviewed for a special on Oprah’s OWN entitled, Fear Not. Fear Not is premiering today, May 16th on OWN at 9:00 pm ET/PT. This six-part weekly series was shot virtually and offers guidance on how to live beyond fear, one step at a time, from Iyanla Vanzant, the inspirational life coach. Iyanla has heart-to-heart conversations with experts, notable guests and survivors like me, giving support to viewers living with stress attributed to the ...