Velveteen Rabbit Project

05/17/2026

05/10/2026

I just read something about emotional discipline that really hit home.
Life will test you. Housing problems, financial stress, unfair treatment, health issues, politics, rising food and gas prices, all of it can wear people down emotionally. Trust me, I know.
But emotional discipline is learning how to keep moving forward without letting bitterness take over your spirit. That doesn’t mean staying quiet. It means speaking up with purpose.
That’s why I continue advocating for seniors, veterans, unhoused people, and stronger tenant protections. Too many people , especially older adults, are suffering because of the digital divide and lack of safe affordable housing. Some people can’t even apply for housing or jobs because everything requires computers now.
I’ve been through instability myself, and that’s exactly why I refuse to stop caring about people.
Little Rock has helped me grow in so many ways. Finishing my education, becoming a homeowner, and finding my voice in advocacy showed me that pain can turn into purpose. 💜

How can your presence create more calm in the spaces you enter? Most people don’t feel free around you if you’re constantly correcting, comparing, or quietly competing.

05/09/2026

This housing story is sad, but it happens more than people realize. A lot of good tenants are being pushed out all over America.

Last semester at UA Little Rock, I wrote a paper about housing policy changes, senior citizens, and tenant protections. The more I research these issues and reflect on my own experiences, the more I realize housing has become about profit over people.

The digital divide is hurting seniors badly too. If you cannot use a computer or smartphone today, life becomes much harder. Many seniors struggle to apply for housing, pay bills, report unsafe conditions, or even ask for help. Everything is online now, and many aging Americans are being left behind.

Another issue is greedy property owners. You can pay your rent on time every month, but when the plumbing breaks, the heater stops working, or appliances need fixing, some landlords don’t want to repair anything. Then if tenants speak up or report problems, retaliation can happen. Some people get evicted simply so the rent can be raised.

As someone who has experienced housing instability myself, I understand these struggles personally. That’s why I’ll continue advocating for safer affordable housing, stronger tenant protections, and better support for seniors, veterans, and unhoused people.

Housing should be about human dignity, not just money.

A historic complex, built as protection from displacement, becomes a symbol of a growing eviction crisis.

04/17/2026

This is my favorite picture of Sister. For whatever reason she would not take a Picture with Mayor Butts. Look how proud she looks with Dawson.

04/17/2026

04/17/2026

𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗗𝗢 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗦 𝗞𝗜𝗦𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗦?

𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

It is clear that from the earliest times a kiss was not only a token of love, but also under certain circumstances a symbol of profound respect. For example, the son of Sirach (Ecclus., xxix, 5) describes how would-be borrowers, when they wish to ingratiate themselves “kiss the hands of the lender, and in promises they humble their voice”. It is in accordance with this symbolism, so universally understood and practiced, that the Church enjoins the kissing of many holy objects, e.g. relics, the book of the Gospels, the cross, blessed palms, candles, the hands of the clergy and nearly all the utensils and vestments connected with the liturgy.

𝙀𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙆𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧

Every time a priest kisses or reverences the altar, he does so in order to honor the altar of sacrifice (which represents Christ) where the miracle of the Eucharist occurs. The kiss also signifies the union of the Spouse (Christ) and his Bride (the Church). Another reason, deeply rooted in ancient Christian tradition, is to reverence the relics of the saint or martyr placed within the altar itself.

During the first centuries of church history, Masses were often celebrated in the underground catacombs on stone slabs covering the tomb of a martyr. This was done in order to reverence the martyr and their heroic and ultimate sacrifice for the Lord. This also was done out of necessity: Being a Christian was illegal throughout the Roman Empire (thus the existence of martyrs) and the Mass had to be celebrated in secret.

When the emperor Constantine legalized Christianity early in the fourth century, the celebration of the Mass moved from underground to above ground, from the catacombs to public buildings or churches. When this transition occurred, the practice and tradition of venerating the martyrs was not left behind but continued to be an important dimension of the Mass.

𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣

When a priest kisses the altar, he is reverencing the person of Christ, which the altar represents, and is also, even if they are not present, continuing the ancient tradition of honoring the great and heroic sacrifice of the martyrs.

04/16/2026

Amen