Hey Day One’s! Welcome to Louisvilles Oldest Daughter!

Welcome to Louisville’s Oldest Daughter!! **insert a squealing hug here**

If you read my little description on the homepage (which took me forever to write and cut down because I’m wordy as you’ll come to find out), you already know the shorthand version of who I am: a woman in her late 30s trying to navigate the messy, hilarious, and bittersweet reality of life in early middle age in the city I love.

But today is our first official "yap session," so let’s really talk about what this space actually is, why I started it, and what you can expect when you hang out with me.

I have spent a lot of my life being the person who gets crap done. Like most oldest daughters, I am the family manager and the high-capacity, type A high performer who struggles to slow down (or sleep, I’m working on it). I love community, I love people, I love mobilization, and I care deeply about politics and social justice, which is why I’m deeply involved in local democratic politics and activism. I work very hard in this area because it really matters to me, and as MVP Harris always said, "hard work is good work." I want to do as much good work as I can for as many as I can. It’s worth it to me.

But as a certified "oldest daughter," I also know that it can be lonely being the one who always has it together and who always gets the job done. It is hard to feel like you have to have all of the answers all of the time, keep all of the plates spinning, and look perfect (and hot) while doing it. Sometimes you wonder if anyone else gets it, and you wish you had a sounding board to vent to and receive support from, because usually you play both of those roles for everyone else.

That’s why I wanted this space where we could take off that heavy armor and step out of the isolation that we often mistake for independence (ouch, I just hurt my own feelings with that statement) and into the arms of a consistent, safe community.

In this space, we can talk about the serious stuff that matters to our community and what is grieving us and pissing us off (aka Trump all day every day). But also, we can immediately pivot to laughing about trashy reality TV (LOVE ISLAND OBSESSED LADIES ARISE), debating where to find the absolute best birria tacos (it’s not a debate, I know where they are) and queso in town, or dissecting a brutal morning workout (bruh, my body is so different at this stage, getting in shape is a convo all its own). We are allowed to be complex and live in the paradoxes of grief, joy, anger, and excitement all at once, all the time. That is what this space is going to be.

So, what is this blog going to look like week-to-week? Think of it as a weekly catch-up with the big sister you always wanted and the best friend you need. We’re going to talk about the highs, the lows, the breakdowns, and the simple joys. It makes me think of being a teen when me and my bestie would sit on my bed with our pizza-flavored Combos and a strawberry daiquiri-flavored SoBe (anyone remember?) yapping until 3 AM about any and everything. That made me feel so seen, heard, and not alone, and I want to create that for us here.

OH! And something fun I’ll be doing as well in each blog is a little section called "What’s on the Table." It is exactly like it sounds. I’ll be showing you what’s on my table as far as the crafts I’m making to preserve my mental health. Like I said earlier, I’m deeply involved in local democratic politics and I head quite a few things. The truth is, in the current atmosphere in our nation, it is a very heavy thing to be in politics if you are opposed to the current regime and trying to make a true, tangible change where you live. If I’m being honest, it was starting to wear me down a bit. So after some prayer and advice from friends, I knew I had to do something creative (I was born to be a creative, forced to fight fascism... womp, womp) to clear my head and give me a break for a minute.

So I picked up sculpting with air-dry clay and I absolutely love it. I plan on playing around with polymer and painting some too. It’s just been the best outlet and I plan on sharing it with all of you. And yes, it’s on my table because, like most other millennials, the idea of buying a house right now is as realistic as sprouting wings and flying to the North Star. So, I am doing all of my art on my kitchen table in the very cute but small apartment I share with my best friend.

I’m kinda nervous to show my art (even though it’s literally right ^ there above this paragraph, please be merciful to me) because I’m no professional, but I do want to share. Maybe it will encourage you to find simple joys again too to help your brain turn off from the turmoils, even if just for an hour. And also, do it just for you, not to impress anyone or to do tutorials or social media. Just do it for you, and to share in the joy of it with those you love who will root you on to keep going.

I’m also going to share any good recipes I find with you, if I thrift any cute clothes for cheap (we budget around here, babe), and give you some behind-the-scenes of what being in local politics is like while also working a full-time office 9-to-5.

Well, that’s it for now. Just know that if you are an oldest daughter, I’m happy to be a support to you. But even if you’re the middle daughter or the youngest, you’re welcome here. Sissy never turns anyone away, and I’m here to encourage you, cry with you, laugh with you, craft with you, and just be with you in general.

I’m so happy you’re here and that you’re here from day one.

Yap with you soon.

I love you,

Louisville’s Oldest Daughter, aka Sissy <3