5 Things / What’s your deal?
My in-laws are visiting this weekend, and we’re close now, but years ago, my mother-in-law was less than enthused when I came into the picture. I’ll never forget my first real conversation with her. She said something to the effect of, “So what’s your deal?” I led with, “Well, my mom and dad died years ago and….” With that sentence, she softened and has loved me since. Vulnerability for the win.
I’m proud of my in-laws. They live in a red state and have been on their own journey towards a broader worldview. They’ve asked questions, listened, and changed. That’s what growth looks like. It doesn’t happen in silence. It happens in the conversations we sometimes want to avoid – and I’m guilty of this in my family.
Like with all change, though, it starts with stories. Stories we share in conversations we have to be brave enough to have. Even if those conversations start with, “So, what’s your deal?”
What’s the story you’re brave enough to tell this week?
This Week's Good Vibes:
Deaf athletes smash barriers on the court
The 5th annual National Deaf Pickleball Tournament sold out in hours, drawing 520+ deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes aged 18–80 to Pikesville, Maryland. By carving out a space where sign language is the default and no one has to adapt for access, the event flips the usual dynamics of sport. Deaf culture is the main stage at this event, which matters in a society where disability access is often an afterthought. ♐️This is what equity looks like when systems flip from “fitting in” to building for the community first.
Target’s new accessible self-checkout, co-created with blind and low-vision shoppers, uses tactile controls, audio prompts, and Braille to eliminate barriers to buying. This is the first of its kind in US retail and the first time Target’s been in 5 Things in quite awhile. Accessibility built in from the start sets a new bar for retail and disrupts ableist systems that normalize exclusion. ♐️Inclusive design is the future of business credibility.
Sesame Street hugs military kids
Sesame Workshop launched “Healthy, Happy, Ready,” free digital resources to help military children manage deployments, moves, and reunions. With Elmo modeling emotional naming and connection, kids learn resilience tools usually reserved for therapy. Military-connected children are statistically more prone to anxiety, and this resource provides an equitable intervention that meets them where they are—on screen. It’s a model for how media can reduce stigma and expand mental health access. ♐️ Equity looks like giving kids coping tools before they’re in crisis.Walmart cuts the color—literally
Walmart will eliminate synthetic dyes and 30+ additives from its private-label food lines by January 2027. About 90% of products are already dye-free, but this move cements Walmart as the largest U.S. grocer to set a full timeline. Low-income families, who disproportionately purchase budget-friendly private labels, may see the greatest benefit from fewer risky ingredients linked to hyperactivity and metabolic issues. ♐️ When the biggest grocer changes, the whole food system feels it, especially communities too often left with only the cheap, processed stuff.
Costa Rica votes for trans visibility
Gerhard Phillip Hernández Padilla just became Costa Rica’s first openly trans elected official, winning vice mayor of Moravia with 45.36% of the vote. He ran on a platform of expanding opportunities for trans people, while acknowledging his own privileges and the barriers he faces. In a region where anti-LGBTQ+ policies remain common, this victory is rare and powerful. Representation disrupts systemic erasure and proves that marginalized voices belong in leadership. ♐️Support trans candidates and leaders where you live. They shift culture for everyone.
Good Vibes to Go:
Watch some of Zarna Garg’s stand up comedy. She has two hilarious specials on Hulu, including this year’s Practical People Win. I like it when people don’t take themselves or their cultures too seriously.