Adopted Black Girl

Being the youngest of seven, curiosity was always part of who I was. I was often scolded for asking too many questions, for wanting to understand everything, for wandering mentally and emotionally beyond what felt “acceptable.” But looking back, I believe that curiosity is one of the reasons I’ve been able to continue to live a fruitful life. It pushed me toward experiences, ideas, and paths I might have been too afraid to explore otherwise.

As adopted Black girls and women, we are often taught how to survive. We’re encouraged to stick to the plan, stay on the path, keep our heads down, and not ask too many questions. Curiosity isn’t always welcomed—it can feel risky, unnecessary, or even unsafe. But curiosity is how we find answers. It’s how we learn. It’s how we grow into who we truly are.

This past month, I decided to lean into my love for museums and art. What I was reminded of is this: people say they love art—but do we truly understand the artist, the story, the experience behind the work? That question alone made me curious enough to learn more.

I explored the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Harvard Art Museums in Boston and Mercer Labs in New York. What stood out to me was how vibrant art can be and how powerful storytelling becomes when it’s expressed through imagery. Art holds emotion, history, conflict, and hope all at once. In many ways, we are like that too.

My curiosity led me to do something simple and exciting for me: I booked a train to New York just for the day. A day to live, to dream, to do exactly what I said I wanted to do. And I noticed something important: I feel the happiest, most grounded version of myself when my actions align with my words.

So I want to encourage you, gently, to let some of that fear go. Try something this month that is your choice. Nothing extravagant. Nothing performative. Just intentional.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Choose a breakfast recipe you’ve been wanting to try and give yourself a slow morning to enjoy it. (I love slow morning honestly)
• Pick a new book and commit to reading it cover to cover.
• Visit your favorite place, put your phone on Do Not Disturb, and be fully present.
• Create playlists for your everyday routines like cleaning, nighttime wind-downs, morning resets, etc.
• Plan a day just for you and invite one person along. Go somewhere. Experience something.

Curiosity doesn’t mean abandoning responsibility. It means allowing yourself permission to explore. And sometimes, that exploration is exactly what brings us back to ourselves.

So, what do you say, are you in?

From my writing corner with love,

Teish