issue #149 - the one on labor

Today is Labor Day in the United States - a day that many of us refer to as the final day of summer (and for my boys, the last day of summer vacation before school starts tomorrow).

It is also a day of deep meaning - the holiday was established at the end of the 19th century to celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers.

If I’m being honest, I’m finding it hard to be in a celebratory mood when it comes to labor (and its multiple definitions):

(please click the tweet and read through the entire thread)

Labor has been vital for the advancement of this nation. But not all labor is valued equally, and sadly the unpaid labor of women (and predominantly women of color) is something we’ve needed to invest in for generations, and the pandemic has revealed how this labor has been exploited and broken beyond repair.

It’s not fair - and never has been fair.

I don’t have all the answers but focusing on solutions that properly value this work and to build the protections and dignity that this work deserves is something I am deeply focused on in this chapter of my life.

Here’s what has helped me in my own relationship:

• having a relationship check-in every week (a practice I learned from my friends Kat and Daley, and we’ve adapted for ourselves)

• reading Fair Play and putting it into practice in our own home. The documentary is worth watching, and the card game makes it easy to play and divide the pile of cards fairly among your family.(I share both of these practices in my book WE’RE SPEAKING, in the chapter Wait For Your Doug).

On a macroeconomic scale, my friends at Chamber Of Mothers, Mother Honestly, The Riveter, and Careforce are fighting for policy solutions to bring the necessary compensation and dignity to the work that women have done for free for far too long.

One of the most important things you can do (if you’re an American citizen) is to vote - in every election, but especially this upcoming midterm election. That this Congress was able to take decisive action on common sense gun reform, traditional infrastructure, climate change and affordable medication, and post-pandemic recovery aid shows that we can do hard things - and we can do more with members of Congress and Senators aligned with these values serving in our state and federal legislatures. I AM A VOTER is a fantastic resource to register to vote, check your voter registration, and make your voting plan (bonus - they have great merch, and I wear this shirt every time I visit the polls)

I hope your day is filled with some rest and some delicious food and time with your loved ones. I also hope you take some time to think about labor - in all its forms - and how we can better value the role it plays in our society and our lives, and continue to do better.

What I Read This Week

• Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson - alright friend, I’m going to need you and all of your friends to read this amazing book. If Harry Potter had a cooler, wiser elder sister who didn’t take any bigoted nonsense and taught you better, it would be this book. Four friends - all witches, all who came of age at the same time - find themselves on opposite sides when it comes to a mysteriously powerful child and a world-ending prophecy. You may hate me for recommending this so strongly because the sequel won’t come out for another year, but I promise I will discuss this book in detail with anyone who wants to chat about it for the next year.

What Everyone Else Read This Week

Abigail

• Every Summer After by Carley Fortune- I feel like I'm the last person to read this book, but it's a really great beach read for the final weeks of summer! I need to visit a lake house, stat!

Top #5SmartReads Of The Week

• Miss Universe Is Using Her Reign to Fight Stigmas Surrounding Menstrual Equity (The Cut)

• Stacey Abrams’ New Book Mixes Romance With High-Stakes Suspense (Bustle)

• What Comes After Ambition? (Elle)

• How to Make School Mornings Run Smoothly - Tips from Real Moms (Mother Untitled)

• FDA authorizes Pfizer and Moderna Covid boosters targeted against Omicron strains (STAT)

The rest of the week’s reads + last week’s (and conversations!) are below:

Monday August 29, 2022Tuesday August 30, 2022Wednesday August 31, 2022Thursday September 1, 2022Friday September 2, 2022

Your Questions, Answered

What are you favorite fall activities?

• Morning walks in Central Park after drop-off

• Reading all the witchy books from today until October 31

• Apple picking at Shady Brook Farm and Merry Mead Farm’s pumpkin patch (I’ve been going to this patch since I was a kid!)

• FOOTBALL SEASON! #FlyEaglesFly

• The Halloween block party on our block (I hope it finally returns this year!)

• Decorating our home for Deeepavali and for Christmas

• Thanksgiving at my parents’ (and our Friday after Thanksgiving tradition of the Santa train ride on New Hope Railroad and the Christmas lights at Shady Brook Farm)

What should I be reading for me ACOTAR withdrawal? Crescent City. Do not pass go. Do not collect $100. Just jump right in.

I also LOVED Amanda Bouchet’s Kigmaker Chronicles- if ACOTAR and Circe had a baby, it would be this series and it’s brilliant.

Also, you can just re-listen to ACOTAR (the dramatized audiobooks). I’m making my way through them right now and they hit differently but equally excellent.

Fav podcasts?

• Bad On Paper Podcast

• South Asian Trailblazers

• Whats Her Story Podcast

• Archetypes

• Farnoosh Torabi’s So Money

• Siffat Haider’s Dream Bigger

• Hillary Kerr’s Second Life Pod

• The Skinny Confidential

• That Desi Spark Podcast

Any cons to getting a new Cover booster ASAP? Last booster Nov. 2021.Dr. Liz M Ph.D., Dr. Bertha Hidalgo, Ph.D. MPH, Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS and Laurel Bristow probably have more helpful information that I do! The only caution i’ve seen is to wait a couple months after a positive COVID infection before getting the booster, but always speak with your physician before making any decisions like these.

Any ideas for fun bridal shower/bachelorette games?I’m a no games kind of girl. But I do love the idea of the guests going around to tell the bride-to-be something they love or value about her!

Good places to donate to help Pakistan right now?Islamic Relief USA is an organization we’ve personally vetted when we were running Bridge2Act and I really value how they focus both on direct and immediate aid as well as rebuilding and recovery efforts.

How do I fake autumn when I live in a place with no season?Build a cozy corner in your home. It can be your favorite chair or corner of your couch.

Hang up some twinkle lights. Pull out your favorite blanket. Get a new candle (Nag Champa from Scrumptious Wicks is a great one). Read all the spooky/witchy books and journal in a beautiful new notebook. Make all the soup!

Fall is a vibe and a state of mind, not just a season! Enjoy!

In NYC this Oct! Seeing lots of stories on surge in violent crime in the city. Your take on staying safe?I personally feel a disconnect between what is being reported and my experience- I feel as are in New York as I do anywhere, but I also don’t scroll on my phone or read a book or listen to music while I’m on the subway or walking around. I want to stay alert and focused on my surroundings (which is just good for personal safety in general).

I’ve always taken a cab or rideshare when coming home solo at night (and sharing my ride with my husband) and take the subway and bus during the day, and feel fine with that!

Do you have recs for fall books? Looking for cozy/spooky/witchyI got a while bookshelf of my favorite witchy books on my Copper Books profile, and I’ve linked the shopping links here (and follow me on LTK! I share a lot of my shopping recommendations there)

Random, do you have any tattoos/ever compelled to get one?I don’t have any, but I’m planning on getting Neela’s name written in Telugu on my right wrist (Neela was my niece/little sister who we lost 4 years ago and I miss her every single day)

xo,HPN