Episode 120, Siri Carr and Kirsti Carr, Discussion On White Privilege
Release Date: 06/15/2020
Episode 419 Love Legacy
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, I join the chorus of people paying tribute to our iconic, American treasure, Dolly Parton. You can’t help but be impressed with how she lived her life, her talent and kindness. She was humble, business savvy, grounded in compassion, invested in humanitarian values, and had a fabulous sense of humor. Dolly had a positively profound impact on and off stage. May we all find ways to honor Dolly Parton by loving more deeply, giving more freely and keeping joy alive. May we all honor Dolly’s love legacy. Check out the Show Notes for links to Dolly tributes from...
info_outline
Episode 418 Death and Life
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this weeks episode, I reflect on how intimately intertwined death and life are. One informs and impacts the other. From my childhood to late teens and early adulthood memories, to recent experiences of facing the death of people I love, I have learned to be present, feel the depth of emotions and look for opportunities for acceptance and personal reflection. Nature teaches us about how natural, organic and integrated death is in life. Perhaps, we can envision that our death will inspire new life for others, as the dead trees in the woods give life to 100s of microorganisms. May...
info_outline
Episode 417 Musician Dena DeRose
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
My guest today is Dena DeRose. Dena Is a compelling, innovative jazz singer and pianist. In addition to her busy international touring schedule, Dena has been a professor of Jazz Voice at the in Graz, Austria for the past 20 years. Dena has led clinics and workshops around the world. Her passionate ability to embody the heart and soul of music as a performer and educator is remarkable. She describes her students as inspiring her, I can only imagine how profoundly Dena inspires her students. Check out the Show Notes for links to Dena’s website, tour schedule and booking manager,...
info_outline
Episode 416 Invigorated by Yosemite
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, I share how invigorated I was after 6 days of hiking in Yosemite National Park. I’ve had Yosemite hiking on my bucket list for 50 years and am delighted I finally experienced a section of it’s profound peace and awesome beauty. I felt healthy, strong and empowered walking in the high altitudes, through shaded forests, over sunny granite, and up and down rocky switchbacks. I was so uplifted and inspired by the mountains, meadows and lakes and trust that this intimate communion with nature will live in me forever. May you find refreshment this summer in lakes,...
info_outline
Episode 415 Evening Strolls
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, I describe my appreciation for evening strolls. In addition to the physical benefits of walking after dinner, evening strolls provide an opportunity to process our day, enjoy our surroundings and nurture an easeful, gentle unwinding of the day. When my kids were young, we took evening strolls, that later turned into adventure walks but it has been about 25 years so I am happy to return to this simple practice. I am grateful that my husband and I are carving out time 4-5 days per week to add evening strolls to our self care routine. May you try out an evening...
info_outline
Episode 414 Grateful For Greece
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, having just returned from 12 glorious days in Greece, I am filled with gratitude. A week-long yoga retreat, plus 4 additional days on a nearby island were a fabulous way to kick off my retirement. My beloved God-daughter, Aliya runs the retreat and is a gifted, inspiring leader, who creates a very special experience for women from around the world. I am still absorbing all the magic of Greece: sparkling waters, dolphin sightings, delicious food, playful energy, hearty laughter and soul sister connections. How grateful I am to return to Greece after 45 years, to...
info_outline
Episode 413 Barry Danielian, Musician & L. Ac
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
My guest today is Barry Danielian. Barry is an extraordinary musician, playing trumpet while touring with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Tower of Power, and Bruce Springsteen, to name a few. Barry is also a Licensed Acupuncturist and Board Certified Herbalist. Barry is currently a doctoral candidate at the Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts and he plans to complete his doctorate this December. Barry describes his affinity to eastern philosophy, his martial arts and his ability to express and integrate Eastern and Western concepts. Barry is jazzed when he can help people cross...
info_outline
Episode 412 Jocelyn Jane Cox, Author
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
My guest today is Jocelyn Jane Cox. Jocelyn is a former competitive figure skater, coach and current writer. I was very moved by her recent book “Motion Dazzle: A Memoir of Motherhood, Loss and Skating on Thin Ice”, which was described as “a tribute to her mother, a love letter to her son and a testament to resilience as a caregiver.” Jocelyn’s beautifully written memoir captures her vulnerability, humor and relate-ability. We discuss how the book came about, her focus on one day that embodied both suffering and celebration, as well as the lessons learned when we take a leap of...
info_outline
Episode 411 Evolving Retirement
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, I acknowledge my retirement from 47 years of my professional career. I’ve had various roles, responsibilities and titles. It has been an honor to work with children, teens, adults, policy makers, teachers, parents, researchers and social workers from all backgrounds. As I bring my private practice to a close, I am humbled from all that I have learned. I am filled with gratitude as my clients process a wide range of emotions and co-create a healthy, intentional goodbye. I embrace all the ways I will evolve in this next chapter of my life. Enjoy the podcast! ...
info_outline
Episode 410 Cait Conley
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
My guest today is Cait Conley. Cait is running for Congress in NY District 17, determined to stop Donald Trump and cowards like Mike Lawler who enable him. Cait was born and raised in the Hudson Valley, graduated at the top of her class at West Point, served 16 years as an Army officer, and broke barriers as one of the first and only women in Special Operations leadership and was awarded three Bronze Stars. Cait’s career as a public servant continued at home, protecting security and democracy while serving as Director of Counter-Terrorism on the National Security Council at the White...
info_outline I want to acknowledge and address the traumatic, heartbreaking reality of our country’s anti-black socialization, systemic racism and the internalized racist worldview that is ingrained in being white. I am reaching out, retreating, asking others, asking myself, learning, unlearning, doing, undoing, reflecting, listening, making mistakes, and striving for growth. I truly want to be as present to the discomfort, awkwardness and pain as I can be, of the racial inequality of our shared American history. I’ve been so moved by the younger generation, particularly my adult children, nieces and nephews as they continue to challenge, stimulate and expand my understanding of racial injustice and what it means to be white.
My guests today are 2 of my nieces, Siri Carr and Kirsti Carr. Siri is a teacher of 8th grade writing in a Boston charter school. She cares deeply about making the world a better place, trusting that with love, we are capable of so much more. Kirsti is an environmental biologist, who has studied raptors in California and Nevada and is currently working on a red-headed woodpecker project in Minnesota. She is uplifted by the collective action that is happening across the country and around the world, hundreds of thousands of people standing together, demanding equal justice.
Both Siri and Kirsti invited our extended family into a family Zoom meeting to discuss white privilege. So even though the family Zoom hasn’t yet occurred, I wanted to highlight the initiative they took. As I hear so many white people ask what can I do, I hope Siri and Kirsti’s efforts might be a tangible thing you could try with your own families.
Siri and Kirsti help challenge me to think about how we can openly practice anti-racism in our lives. I know there is a lot of individual and collective work before us and I hope we can inspire each other on the journey. Check out the show notes for links to resources we discuss. Enjoy the podcast!
Programming Note:
Next Monday, June 22, my guest will be author, director & activist Kimberly Jones. You may have seen her viral video that Joel Cross, Trevor Noah, and others have shared. I'm eager to shine light on Kimberly and the truth she speaks.
Links:
Teens In Print
Storyteller Carolyn Finney
"Black Faces in White Places" by Randal Pinkett
"America, This is Your Chance" by Michelle Alexander, NY Times