I needed some time to compose my thoughts about the widespread pain, anger, and grief people are feeling across the country. I have been listening, I'm learning, I'm heartbroken, I'm mad, I'm also hopeful that our society has reached a long-awaited tipping point, and that justice and equality can now spread like wildfire.

I am a white woman who is learning how much privilege and access I have been granted throughout my life, while many others have been mistreated, harassed, or killed for no reason other than the color of their skin. I know that I will never fully understand, but the one thing I do know is that now, more than ever, we all need to take a stand against racism.

Things have to change. Black lives matter. We are all human beings who deserve love, respect, and protection.

As a small business owner, I am grateful to not only show my support to the BIPOC community but to also get involved by donating to amazing organizations and fundraisers.

I am honored to have designed a necklace that promotes justice, equality, and peace. 25% of the net proceeds made from The Equality Necklace will be donated to the Loveland Foundation.

Five natural Garnet gemstones have been hand-selected to represent all the colors of racial equality.

Garnet crystal is all about generating passion: passionate creativity, passionate sensuality, passionate living. As it’s important to have the grounding of a ‘safe space’ to bravely explore unknown ideas and uncharted passions, Garnet makes an ideal adventure partner as it helps you keep boundaries firmly established and respected while also removing inhibitions and blockages. An important ally in times of crisis, it’s no coincidence that Garnet jewelry reaches the heights of popularity after both world wars, as it helps heal and regenerate from trauma and chaos.

Notes: Garnets occur in a vast variety of colors: Yellow, orange, peach, green, red, purple, brown, and pink.  It is both a traditional and Ayurvedic birthstone for January.

We need to continue educating ourselves and share that knowledge with our children, families, and friends. It is more important than ever to teach our children about racism and how they have the power to teach others. Even when it’s uncomfortable. It is perseverance in the uncomfortable moments that will help us break the cycle.

Here are some enlightening videos that have helped our family understand systemic racism, and I hope they will be helpful for you too.

For children to understand the current social climate, I was grateful to share this with my daughter: https://youtu.be/YrHIQIO_bdQ

CNN and Sesame Street hosted a town hall on racism for families to watch last Saturday, here are some highlights of the video: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/06/us/cnn-sesame-street-town-hall-racism-trnd/index.html

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To find out more about the Loveland Foundation and their mission to serve, click here to learn more about this amazing foundation:

May we all hope for connection, understanding, and empathy to emerge from the chaotic events of 2020. We need to help our country heal now.

I promise to never stop listening, learning and loving.

xo, Teressa