Cupcakes & Tea with Elizabeth

Tag: cultural identity

  • Book Review: We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

    Book Review: We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

    Book Review: We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

    When my cousin handed me We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union, she said, “Elizabeth! I was listening to her in an interview, and I thought — THAT’S ELIZABETH!” And honestly, I’ll take that compliment any day. Because, let’s be real — Gabrielle Union is amazing.

    I don’t usually reach for celebrity memoirs, but I’m so glad I gave this one a chance. Gabrielle’s voice is raw, funny, and refreshingly honest. She dives into everything — from navigating Hollywood and love to confronting the pain of sexual assault and unpacking her experience with Blackness and identity. Her stories are layered, deeply human, and often hit closer to home than expected.

    There was one passage that stopped me in my tracks. Gabrielle describes how, after her assault, she began timing every part of her life — how long she’d stay somewhere, when she’d leave, even how she’d move through public spaces — to minimize the chance that something bad could happen.

    “Timing became the most important thing in my life. I timed everything I did to try to reduce the space for something else to happen to me… That’s how my brain began to function.” — Page 101

    I remember rereading that paragraph over and over again. It was like someone finally put words to something I had silently lived for years. I even ran to my boyfriend’s game room mid-read, yelling, “She gets it! She understands!” Then called my friend Maggie just to say the same thing.

    For the first time, I felt seen. I didn’t have to explain the hyper-awareness, the constant mental clock, the exhaustion of just being. Gabrielle had already done it — and done it with grace, humor, and courage.

    Her essays reminded me how healing it is to read someone else’s truth — especially when it mirrors your own. She doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations about race, colorism, trauma, and womanhood. Yet somehow, she balances it all with wit and heart.

    We’re Going to Need More Wine isn’t just a memoir — it’s a conversation between friends. It’s the kind of book you sip through slowly, dog-ear, highlight, and carry with you long after the last page. Whether you’re a memoir lover or just looking for something honest, funny, and healing — this one’s a must-read.

    📚 Cupcakes & Tea with Elizabeth Rating: ★★★★★

    Raw. Relatable. Absolutely unforgettable.

  • Following My Grandma’s Footsteps in Sweden: Reflections on Equality, Culture & Connection

    Following My Grandma’s Footsteps in Sweden: Reflections on Equality, Culture & Connection

    While reading through my grandmother’s travel diary from her time in Sweden, I came across an entry that stopped me in my tracks:

    “Swedes are allowed to go anywhere, eat in the grass at the palace lawn, see parks as they wish. The new law is that the Princess who is older than her brother will be queen. We Swedes are implementing equal rights for women!”
    ~ Vivian Olson, June 17th

    I found myself smiling — not just because of her words, but because I had nearly the same thoughts during my own visit to Sweden decades later.

    There’s something truly special about how open and accessible life feels there. I remember watching newlyweds taking photos outside a royal palace, families picnicking on the palace lawn, and children playing with their dogs in the gardens. In so many other parts of the world, these spaces are roped off or reserved for the elite. But in Sweden, the royal grounds feel like they belong to everyone. That sense of shared belonging left such an impression on me.

    Just as my grandma observed, Sweden continues to lead with progressive values — especially when it comes to gender equality. Women have a strong voice in government, and citizens tend to vote based on values and policies rather than gender. It’s a refreshing contrast to what I often see in the U.S., where the focus can still be on who is breaking barriers instead of why they’re leading.

    Yet, even in Sweden, there’s acknowledgment that progress is ongoing. Equality is not a finish line but a continual effort — a mindset I think both our nations are still navigating.

    I love seeing how my grandmother’s reflections and mine intertwine — two generations apart, yet observing the same beauty in everyday freedoms and the same hope for equality. Her words remind me how much our perspectives are shaped by those who came before us, and how their journeys continue to guide our own.

    Side Note: Some Swedes still feel their country has work to do in reaching full equality — which makes me wonder: how far behind is the U.S.? Are we striving toward an ideal that even the most progressive nations are still perfecting?