February is for CONNECTION...

February is for CONNECTION! You can't help but to enter into the month of February with the excitement of celebration. Preparing for this month's theme, I thought of the different ways that the shortest month of the year has so much packed into it. February started with the Lunar New Year, we grooved into Black History Month, and Valentine's Day arrives. So many celebrations that when you walk into the store, your head doesn't know which way to look, which books to buy, how to theme an outfit, which events to attend...the possibilities are endless. February is the cold month, that forces us into our homes together. That makes this month, the month of connection.

Kicking off the Month with the Year of the Tiger

My connection crew started the month learning about the Lunar New Year. We spent the weekend exploring celebrations around the city wanting to experience how different communities celebrate the Lunar New Year. What we experience... food from different Asian cultures, watched Japanese Sumo wrestlers (my son's favorite, check out the video on our Instagram page), danced with the lions at the park, fed the dancing lions to try to bring a little luck and prosperity our way and read books about the Lunar New Year. My favorite part was watching how the different Asian communities connect through this holiday celebration, and we got to be a part of it!

The Bosticks Love Valentine's Day

There was a time when Valentine's Day was about me and my husband, but since 2016 our hearts expanded to include our 2 little ones. Valentine's day can sometimes feel like an over-hyped holiday created by stores, but it's a great reminder that it's time to connect whether that is with your spouse, with your kids, with your Gals (I love a Galentine's party!), or even finding the connection to yourself. Find a way to do all of the above, read books with your kids, have them create valentines for friends and family, and encourage them to find value in themselves.

Not Just Black History

Last, but certainly not least, Black History Month. February is the month we celebrate the history, the legacy, the milestones, the contributions, the joy of Blacks in this country. I want my children to see their connection to the Black community and join in the celebration as a part of who they are. I want them to also learn this lesson, Black history is not a separate history, it's not just a month, it's not to exclude-- Black History Month is a celebrate the connection of the history of Black people to the history of this country. You simply cannot separate the two histories. We will attend the celebrations (my nephew is practicing a great song with his Jack and Jill chapter), we will tell the stories, we will shop from Black businesses, eat the food of Black chefs (Again, see Instagram), and remember the history of Blacks who paved the way for this nation to be what it is today. February is for CONNECTIONS; all the beautiful connections Lit In Color.

January is for DREAMS...

Say hello to the New Year! 2021 came to an end with Christmas and a little Covid. As the new year began, I asked my 5 year old what he wanted to accomplish in the new year. I think it took him by surprise that I asked him this question. I have never asked him this question before. As adults we are always setting new goals, excited for our new expectations, feeling brave enough for a new dream; feeling as though the clock striking 12 o'clock on December 31st brings in a different sense of hope. I have to imagine my children feel the same way, so I asked my son to think about what his hopes and dreams were now that January and a new year had come. His answers involved a range of ideas... earning a new belt in his martial arts class, beating his cousin in Beyblades, getting to chew bubble gum. For my son, all of this was as exciting as my marathon dreams and renewed focus of a blog.

Midway through January we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the leader who set the dream of our nation, and spoke of his hope for his children and the world he would leave them. As I thought about January, the start of 2022, I couldn't help but to think, January is for dreams. Not just dreams for me, dreams for my children and the world I hope they get to live in. This month Lit in Color will be celebrating books of dreams and hopes as we enter into the new year. May the books we feature here inspire your biggest hopes and dreams. Talk to your family, have a vision board party, read a book to inspire with your children. For my children...I ask that their dreams be Lit In Color.