Short, like the month
Short, like the month
February Miles for Vermont Update
131.7 miles
If you’re following along—or just joining—Miles for Vermont, please consider donating $0.01–$1 per mile, split between the causes below.
Vermont Foodbank: https://fundraise.vtfoodbank.org/fundraiser/6850956
Vermont Public: https://www.vermontpublic.org
As I’ve considered my monthly wrap up, my thoughts have ebbed and flowed, almost overwhelmingly, with the amount of news coming across my streams. The headlines are loud and the scrolls feel heavy.
I’ve tried to sit down and gather it all into something neat and cohesive, but the truth is, it isn’t. I have noticed, however, that my wanderings and threads this month all center around the same theme.
Women. And the space we take.
Instead of trying to force them together in a pretty way, I’m going to leave them as little thoughts.
Short.
Like the month of February.
My youngest turned two this month. She is a sensitive soul if I’ve ever known one. She feels everything. Deeply. And I worry about the world for her.
I’ve found a new type of gratitude for her bull-in-a-china-shop older sister, bold and blazing and unwilling to shrink. But I worry about her, too. Having daughters in this world, it’s not for the faint of heart.
They are strong already. In completely different ways. One soft, one fierce. Both powerful. And I think about what it will mean to raise them to hold onto that.
This month I also had the honor of being at the Vermont Statehouse as part of a panel during a presentation of the Vermont Women, Work, and Wages Spotlight Report. It was a privilege to sit in that space. I have a lot of thoughts about that night, about equity and systems, about how far we’ve come and how far we haven’t.
But what I keep coming back to is this.
I was able to be there because I have a husband who embraces dinner and bedtime. Who doesn’t “help”, he parents. Who steps fully into fatherhood in a way that enables me to step into rooms like the one I found myself in. When I got home, he told me he had looked for a livestream so the girls could watch their mama.
I still can’t get over that.
And then there’s the Olympics. Despite the warmer weather starting to make an appearance, there have been a fair number of treadmill miles this month. For motivation on those indoor miles, I’ve deliberately tuned into various women’s events. I watch them take up space. Every one of their stories. A reminder of strength. Resilience. Endurance. Grit. Women who fall and get back up. Women who say “no” when something doesn’t sit right. Women who cry, not out of fragility, but because they’ve poured everything into the moment.
Showing up again and again.
There are other stories in the headlines right now. Stories that remind us how fragile safety can be. How often power has been misused. How much work remains. Those weigh on me, too.
What space am I taking up? What space am I creating for others? For my girls?
Kasandra Reid is an Investment Adviser Representative of Greenhill Financial Partners, LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser located in Vermont. This material is for informational and educational purposes only and is not investment advice. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Advisory services are offered only where Greenhill Financial Partners, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. References to organizations and events— including Vermont Works for Women, the Vermont Statehouse/Vermont Legislature, the Vermont Women, Work, and Wages Spotlight Report, the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), as well as Vermont Foodbank and Vermont Public —are for informational purposes only. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by these entities, and we receive no compensation from any organizations referenced. Trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Donation links are provided for convenience only. For guidance specific to your situation, consult your financial, tax, or legal professional.
