Truth be told, I’ve been woefully disengaged. It’s a symptom of being disenchanted, disgruntled, disheartened. The weight of goings-on in my community, my state, and my country have left me feeling deflated. I’ve been feeling like my voice, no matter how loud, is muted. There are powers that be that don’t look like me or care about the issues that matter to me. And they’re not listening.
I’ve been on the verge of throwing my hands in the air like I just don’t care.
The problem is…I do care. I don’t have the luxury or the constitution to not. I don’t have the privilege to hide away and fit in without feeling the injustices of our systems. I don’t have the heart to compartmentalize the ire and bigotry stirring in our halls of government. The burdens of this country have left me feeling anxious, irate, and overwhelmed. It seems that my actions and advocacy have been empty, and so I fell into a sense of hopelessness that has begun to rot away at my core. So here I am, stifling my voice.
And I’ve never felt worse.
But then, a brown paper wrapped package delivered to my stoop was the balm that I needed. My friend Cynthia’s book, From Changing Diapers to Changing the World, rekindled the spark that has fueled me since my young activist days staring when I was 10-years old. I thumbed through the book seeing the names of women I admire, many whom I call my friends. I know some really amazing people. Something stirred. Hope. Purpose. Optimism. Pride.
Cynthia’s book is about finding your voice and using it. She writes of motherhood and harnessing the power of the sisterhood of mothers. How can we collectively use our voices to advocate to improve our communities in big and small ways? How can we learn from each other, whether it’s to take the first teetering baby step into the world of advocacy or to cement your pitch for more seasoned veterans. Cynthia hits on heavy topics like poverty, intersectionality, and fighting for our kids.
These are weighty issues that can easily render us hopeless and helpless. But Cynthia provides a tactical map to help along every stage of advocacy from letter writing to protesting to lobbying legislators. This is the handbook for all moms who want to rally around an issue and be champions for change. I needed this book to jumpstart my sputtering advocacy heart. Though I am an experienced advocate (over 40 years of smashing the patriarchy, advocating for access to vaccines in the developing world, fighting for funding public education, and more), Cynthia’s perspective and actionable ideas have refueled me. I’m ready to shed the sense of dread that devoured me to unleash the natural advocate that was hiding inside me. You just might see a familiar name talking about her own journey on page 229.