Dear Black women, today is a day off for Black Girls, so take some time to rest

October 11 is National Black Girls Day Off, and as I sit at my desk writing to you, I am unable to help but chuckle on the irony, because do Black women really have a day off? One of the cruel realities of falling into the trenches of womanhood – or maturity basically – is the conclusion that nothing ever ends. Someone will all the time need something. Something will all the time require your attention. And irrespective of what number of guides and podcasts you read, nothing can fully prepare you for how physically, mentally and emotionally demanding femininity may be.

So today I’m talking to your inner girl.

I’m talking to the a part of you that has managed to retain your childlike wonder. The quiet voice that dreams just like the sky is the limit. A version of you that couldn’t wait to turn out to be an “adult” so you may do whatever you wanted. Even though it’s possible you’ll not talk to her often, she still lives inside you and needs to exit and play.

If you are anything like me, today is not a day off. It’s one other day crammed with familiar demands: calls, emails, and expectations that appear to multiply by the minute. Black Girl Day Off is supposed to be a celebration, nevertheless it often feels more like one other item on our never-ending to-do list. The truth is that almost all women wear so many hats – caregiver, provider, friend, sister, mother, companion, community leader – that we sometimes forget to stop and acknowledge our own needs.

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But within the midst of this chaos, I urge you to stop and reflect on the deeper meaning of Black Girl Celebration. It’s not nearly walking away from our responsibilities; it’s about reconnecting with joy that usually gets overshadowed by drudgery. It’s about reconnecting with that elusive inner girl who dared to dream without the burden of the world on her shoulders – the one who jumped on the grass, laughed out loud and believed within the magic of possibility.

What dreams have you ever shelved within the name of responsibility? What joys have you place aside in an effort to fulfill your responsibilities? This day, designed to remind Black women to stop and recharge, is not nearly resting – it is about reclaiming our joy, our aspirations, and our uncompromising right to simply…

As Black women, we’ve an incredibly powerful legacy of resilience and strength. Our innate ability to “keep our heads up” on days once we feel like we’re drowning often makes us forget concerning the power of vulnerability. There’s nothing improper with admitting that we’re drained – bored with being basic, hard-working, trendsetting, and reliable. Tired of being disregarded. Today is an invite to resist drudgery and redefine what rest looks like for us. It’s not nearly physical rest; it is also about emotional and mental rejuvenation.

Take a moment to breathe. Imagine your inner girl – what does she want to do? Dance, paint, explore? Whether it’s a short dance break, a walk down memory lane with an old favorite movie, or simply sitting in silence and respiration, let her whisper to you, reminding you of the fantastic thing about possibility. Yes, the world will proceed to turn and demands will proceed to arise, but carve out that sacred space for yourself today. You deserve it. You deserve rest, joy and all of the dreams that await you.

OK, so possibly you may’t take time off, Black girl. But as I sit here at my desk, I catch the irony. I acknowledge the demands of today while also selecting to have fun the girl inside. I challenge you to do the identical. Today, find joy even within the midst of chaos. Because in that joy lies the strength to proceed to fight, to dream, and to be unapologetically a black woman in a world that usually refuses to stop.