Hope Wrestles With Hard Reality

know it’s going to take the advocacy of all of us here [and] people around the country. It will not be for lack of trying.”

The group spoke steps away from the brick-lined pathway leading into the garden etched with the names of all New Haveners killed by gun violence since 1976. The 1994 section included the name of Danielle Monique Taft, a 7-month Dixwell girl whose murder helped influence the state to pass a gun-control bill that year.

Marlene Miller-Pratt stood to the side listening as the politicians spoke. Miller and two fellow moms of gun violence victims came up with the idea of the botanical garden and made it happen. She has since dedicated her life to offering support for

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East Rockers Back Reading

Housing for People with AIDS, or HOPWA.

An important add-on, Wesoly said, is that because Leeway is unique, it’s the site where universities around the state send their social work students to develop inperson skills and training. “We provide an opportunity to get their [the social work students’] hours filled, and many come to us for a semester or a year and get their own caseload and get to work under the HOPWA umbrella.”

Levinsohn reminded her attentive listeners that New Haven Reads has four sites around town, in Newhallville, Dixwell, Bishop Woods, and with the fourth site nearby off Willow Street in East Rock, so it’s easy to get to. Go online, she urged her listeners, and sign up!

By the time the vote for a letter of support was taken at the end of the meeting, many people had left the online gathering, said the chair Elena Grewal. The formal tally for New Haven Reads was 25 “Yes’s” and 0 “No’s.” For Leeway, the result was 17 “Yes’s” and 0 “No’s.” other parents and working with young people to prevent further shootings. She has also lent advice to organizers of similar efforts in other cities, including Philadelphia.

She noted Wednesday that the first five months of 2022 elapsed with no homicides, no new bricks in the pathway. She allowed her hopes to rise. Then came 14 more names to etch into bricks. 2023 is barely two weeks old; three new bricks now need to be added.

So Miller-Pratt has no illusions about the challenge she faces. “I keep telling myself: We have to continue to press forward,”

Miller-Pratt said. “I will continue this fight against gun violence. It’s personal.”

Con’t from page 10 In Edgewood, "Everyday Angels" Bless The Year Ahead driving, and would stop to check directions every so often. Bradley made nothing of it. It was only the next day, while scrolling through social media, that she saw that DuBois-Walton had been on her way to meet Vice President Kamala Harris.

“She was on her way to a meeting with the Vice President of the United States and she’s talking to me like she’s on the way to Dunkin’ Donuts!” Bradley said to a wave of laughter that rippled through the room.

Introducing McAllister, Zanaiya Léon recalled meeting an angel close to a decade ago, when she was in New York City to see a family member in the hospital. When she and her mother exited the building, the sky opened up. A man offered to walk them to their car beneath the cover of his umbrella.

Now, Léon doesn’t second-guess it when she feels the divine moving in her life.

“You an angel, sis,” Léon said as McAllister came to the front, trying not to cry.

“Do your thing.”

“I just feel so much love,” McAllister said.

“God is so good.”

Jasmine Danielle, Associate Editor of BlackDoctor.org.

“You have the same 24 hours a day as Beyoncé.”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this quote run across my social media timelines, but I know it strikes a nerve for me. It’s true, we all have the same number of hours in day as the Queen, but are we using them to our advantage?

If we’re sleeping in ’til noon, the answer is no. If we’re waking up without a plan or a solid routine, the answer is no. We’ve all heard the great cliché “Early bird gets the worm”, but if we’re honest, for most people it isn’t easy to get up early, especially when it’s still dark. It’s also not easy to push through the day when it started off rough so we must choose the lesser of two evils. There are many benefits to waking up early and having a solid routine, amongst which is living life like Queen Bey.

1. Wake Up Earlier

The first step is to get into the habit of waking up earlier. This means that we can no longer hold on to our pillows until the very last second. Place your alarm clock across the room so you HAVE to get out of bed to get to it.

I have learned that having two alarms going works best for me: one phone alarm and one traditional alarm. By waking up earlier we give ourselves time for gratitude. If you’ve ever pulled yourself from the bed with little to no time to spare, you know that sometimes the last thing to come to mind is being grateful for the night’s sleep or the warm water running from the faucet as you wash your face.

2.

Appreciate the Small Things

Feeling

Appreciation For The Little Things

is often overlooked and underestimated. We can set ourselves up for happier days by bringing light to the things in our lives that bring joy.

RELATED: Rise and Shine! Make the Most of Your Morning With These Daily Practices

3. Drink Water

Hydrating at the start of the day can make a huge difference as well. Again, it’s about setting the tone. There are many benefits to drinking water first thing in the morning, especially on an empty stomach. It helps rid the body of toxins, improves metabolism, promotes radiant skin, and strengthens the immune system.

4. Eat Breakfast

Waking up early also means having a chance to eat a well-balanced breakfast. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to stop to grab something convenient and awful just to keep the stomach growling at a minimum. If we set the tone for the day by eating a good, nutritious breakfast, the rest of the day’s meals get into formation and we tend to eat nutritious lunches.

5. Write Down Your Tasks and Goals

Because we’re up with enough time to really get our thoughts together, we have an opportunity to get an uplifting playlist going and sort through the day. We can write down our most important tasks and goals. Whatever it is that needs to get done, we identify them and write them down to hold ourselves accountable.

6. Affirm Yourself!

We also need to reinforce and affirm ourselves, our goals, and our vision. This helps us focus, prioritize, and manage our time better. This practice also boosts confidence and self-love. Remind yourself of how beautiful, talented, capable, and intelligent you are.

Of course, life is constantly throwing variables at us, but at least we have some structure now. We want to set ourselves up for success so it’s okay to take baby steps. If you tend to wake up at 8:30 to be out of the house by 8:45, then try waking up at 8:15 instead.

Continue to wake up 15 minutes earlier each day and perhaps go to bed earlier as well. Small steps lead to much bigger changes and before you know it, you’ll be waking up two hours earlier!

Having a solid morning routine is so important because again, it sets the tone for the day. Small wins empower us to achieve bigger wins, so start small. You’ll find that you have enough time in the morning for anything, including making the bed and cleaning the sink after brushing your teeth!