this week's affirmation is…
i deserve a family of my choosing, je mérite une famille de mon choix
there are endless benefits to having a loving, supportive, chosen family
they can provide you with what you are lacking or aren’t receiving from your biological family
or, even better, provide you more good on top of the good you’re already getting from your blood relatives and expand your family
i'm not sure if i chose my family, or if they chose me, but i wouldn't have it any other way
when friends become family, it's a gift
family can look differently to each person, just know that you are loved
enjoy this week's bulletin and have a beautiful holiday!
*all photos are links to more information, bookshop.com link is an affiliate link
let's start a little different this week with tv/movie suggestion
a series that, at is core, is all about chosen family
on Hulu
Pose
chosen families is a concept born in the LGBTQIA+ community
family is a necessity in everyone's life
healthy familial bonds come in so many forms
many of them are born from trauma
this week's book selection is heavy
take heed
by Jaquira Díaz
while growing up in housing projects in puerto rico and miami beach, díaz found herself caught between extremes
as her family split apart and her mother battled schizophrenia, she was supported by the love of her friends
as she longed for a family and home, her life was upended by violence
as she celebrated her puerto rican culture, she couldn't find support for her burgeoning sexual identity
from her own struggles with depression and sexual assault to puerto rico's history of colonialism, every page of Ordinary Girls vibrates with music and lyricism
next,
an incredible playlist
we'll end with bonus booklist...
happy reading
from electricliterature.com
9 Books About the Beauty and Complexities of Chosen Families
Gabe Montesanti, author of "Brace For Impact," recommends memoirs and novels about friendships that become a life-long bond
from theguardian.com
Top 10 books about chosen families
Switching focus from conventional emotional ties, writers from George Eliot to Hanya Yanagihara show there are other stories to tell, just as profound
“blood does not family make. those are relatives. family are those with whom you share your good, bad, and ugly, and still love one another in the end. those are the ones you select” - hector xtravaganza
give your family a big hug, in person, or virtually
as always, affirmations from previous weeks are available here
you'll be hearing more from me soon. promise.
tamara charese
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