Raising While Black: A Survivor’s Guide
It’s all hands on deck. This is the only life we have.
The protective layer
Not long ago I had a rather spirited conversation with my young adult son about confidence and the ability to take control of a situation in a way that would best suit his needs. His recent uneasiness stemmed from what he referred to as a “crippling fear” of presenting in front of his classes. Even with the material second nature, it was the action of regurgitating recently digested knowledge that gave him the shakes. The icing on the cake — fielding a possible deluge of Q&A afterward.
As parents, we never stop teaching, inspiring, caring, guiding, uplifting and nurturing our mini-mes. Parenting is a marathon with no water breaks. The constant management of such oftentimes feels insurmountable but somehow, we muster the strength to power through because we love our children and want them to experience a lifetime of happiness and fulfillment.
My advice for my son’s latest battle with his anxiety-laden “presenting affair” was to own the moment and use his inner strength to allow himself to embrace not only the material at hand but to keep an open mind and let his audience know, they were there to learn from him. He had the power. I will be the first in line to admit I am not a…
