What I'm Reading: 5/15-5/21

Strong as a Mother

I mean it with my entire being when I say that I think mothers are superheroes. Every single one of them.

My own mother had four kids, giving birth to twin boys when she had already had a 2 year old, and then cared for my chronic illness nearly my entire life (and still is, to an extent, even as I’m 26).

My sister has dedicated herself to powerlifting the last few years, teaching her two young boys that nobody is stronger than their mom (except maybe their aunt Macey but that’s another argument).

My sister-in-law makes room for all of the big feelings in her house and helps her two girls and baby boy navigate the tumultuous adventure of growing into a human. I’m continuously in awe of her patience and care.

Mothers are builders, caregivers, north stars. Mothers are asked to give so much when they’re given so little, and they do it with a big bear hug ready for whenever it’s needed.

Happy Mother’s Day, week, life, to every mother who has given her heart to the world. We are better because of you. You made Pulitzer Prize-worthy subjects this week.

The Iowa Writers Collaborative

The Iowa Mercury - Doug Burns

Doug Burns wrote a lovely piece this week about his mother, Ann Burns, and ten walks he took with her that changed his life. He and his mother together ran the Carroll Daily Times Herald newspaper, which had been under their family’s ownership for 93 years when they had to sell it. The admiration Doug has for his mother bleeds through every word in this piece, and unveils a woman dedicated to making the world better.

10 walks in a lifetime with my progressive mom

Hola Iowa - Christina Fernández-Morrow

I find myself deeply unsettled anytime I come across a relatively recent news story that I have never heard of. How did my millennial media consumption habits lose sight of such an impactful event? Christina Fernández-Morrow traveled back to a Postville, Iowa immigration raid fifteen years ago that devastated a community. This piece explores immigration in relation to rural areas across our state, as well as the wreckage our immigration system inflicts on families just trying to make a life for themselves.

The Postville Raid Brought Devastation; 15 Years Later it’s a Sign of Resilience