Suffering Is Not A Requirement For Being Blessed

Hi there,

It’s been about a month since my last letter, and I hope you’ve been doing well since then.

Two weeks ago, I sat down at least three separate times to write a letter, but I didn’t have it in me. Nothing felt like it was coming together, and truthfully, I lacked any real inspiration. So, instead of forcing something out, I decided to rest. I felt a bit guilty at first — like I was being lazy or something — but then reminded myself that the guilt simply stems from lifelong programming to believe that productivity is the highest priority in our lives. Honestly, I’m tired of feeling guilty or “bad” for so many things. Over the years, I regularly discover burdens I’ve been carrying that were never mine to begin with. Productivity is another one of them.

I need my work (in all its aspects) to feel meaningful and joyful. I no longer feel the need to accept anything less than that. There’s something about this statement that feels radical, especially as a Black woman. Historically, we’…