Sixteen is Sassy and So Sweet: Saving the Earth for Her (and her brother)
July 4, 2024
by Dr. Plastic Picker
I swear I’m getting better! I’m not posting pictures of our daughter as much on social media and she reprimanded me recently. My excuse is that I worked a lot when she was younger and now I’m enjoying so many of the “firsts” that I want to remember each moment. I wasn’t there when she rolled for the first time, or when walked. And even if I was there, she was a sickly enough kid and I was a stressed out young pediatrician mother that the joy was overshadowed by worry and stress.
But it’s great being a bit past 45, and not yet in menopause and having a daughter that has such an interesting life. She is so sassy and sweet, but it’s her life and I’m taking the backseat on her narrative. It’s her likeness and her image, and social media is different for the teens. They have to be careful what they post and who likes it, because there is a whole social milieu that does not involve parents. So today, just pictures of her crocheted basket and blueberries!
Happy July 4th everyone! I can write about it here because not many folks read my blog anyone. THANK GOODNESS! It’s a particularly special July 4th because my brother-in-law is finally home after a 9 month deployment from the Navy. The state of the world is complicated, the War in gaza, climate crisis, and upcoming election. I actually don’t try to think about much other than the climate crisis and environmental pollution (and oh my day job of actually clinically taking care of children), but I know that it’s related so much of it. I couldn’t post on Instagram because I was getting hateful comments about the military since I’m mostly in the climate world on Instagram. But here, I can say it. My brother-in-law is a hero and he’s home. He kept the Houthi’s out of the conflict and saw more combat that anyone since world war 2. We still need our military. There is Russia, North Korea and China. If you don’t think you need the military, look around your house and think to yourself – you don’t think someone wants it? Our lives are pretty nice in the United States of America (yes for very complicated exploitive and colonial reasons) but we aren’t solving things overnight and we still need our military to protect us. Because other countries also have a military. So he’s a hero and he’s been awarded a bronze star, and he’s home and safe and I’m so so grateful.
And today I’m going to try to go for a jog and keep my heart rate up for at least 30 minutes. Had some big climate wins yesterday and a lot of legislative movements, but today I really just wanted to remember the crocheted blueberries and the basket she made me. And that my brother-in-law is home with his two children and his wife (my sister). And that I went for a jog, and spent the day with my children.
Sometimes life is that simple. She is my climatewhy, so thank you for listening about her. I really want grandchildren which is why it bothers me so much that there is global heating and an existential threat to humanity. I hope you have a relatively low carbon holiday. And all of us (including you) should really fly less. It’s really unfair. We’ve definitely reducing our travel.