Some great links

Hi friends and To Loosen readers, You've probably noticed - I haven't been blogging on here much. There are a few reasons for my brief race-hiatus -- emotional fatigue, not enough time, discouragement -- but the most compelling one is that I have had to focus a great deal on my health. I've made the decision to have a double mastectomy in the next few months, and so much of my reserve brain power has been allocated to wrapping my cells around cancer.

Yet, as with most things, race is not something I can put back into a corner for a later day, a sunny day, or another day. So, here are some of the best links I've been reading that ring true to me and my life.

I'll be posting a few times in the next few days -- feeling inspired for the first time in a while. So, stay tuned for those. In the meantime, here are some great pieces that I've read recently:

Keep Your Hands Off the Hair: " This week we're going to talk about hair. To touch — or not to touch, that is the question. And as far as I'm concerned the answer is nearly always, no."

South Philly Asian High School Students Victims of Attack: "Another example of ways in which our school systems fail in protecting our children"

Learn More about the Health Care Bill: As the mother of a sick child, the friend of families who care for sick relatives, and as someone going through a body disfiguring surgery in a few months, I am passionate about the health care reform. I believe that Health Care is a right, not a privilege. Yet, it is a privilege I live with each and every day. I am thankful the President has moved forward with this bill, and I also know that a number of my friends are not thankful (and absolutely oppose this bill). I'm open to hearing all sides and "to loosening my mind." In the next few weeks, I'll be posting thoughts from my Liberal, Conservative, and Middle friends. In the meantime, here is a link to follow the plan straight from the source.

Can We Stop Using the Term "Ally"? Great point. Instead of being an "ally", just be someone who does the right thing. Well stated. (hat tip to What Tami Said)