Hello, dear one.
Today, as many are participating in the December holiday season, I wanted to share just a few of my thoughts with you! (I originally posted this on Instagram, so it may be a repeat for some of you.)
Happy holidays to all who celebrate!
And for those who struggle most this time of year…
Who don’t feel seen…
Who feel more disconnected from community or your bodies…
Who are ready for this month to pass or whose anxiety is heightened at the thought of it almost being over…
Who are already isolated and pushed to the edges all year round and are feeling especially invisible now…
…you are valid. Your feelings are valid. The space you take up in the world is valid.
As I celebrate this time of year in the ways I am able and choose to, I am at the same time reminded that the harms we experience are real and are rooted in systems founded on racism, patriarchy, colonialism, bigotry, capitalism, exploitation, isolation, disconnection.
And so as some of us give to charities (p.s. charities are a bandaid and not a solution), celebrate in houses instead of hidden away in cages or literally swept off the street away from view, buy and receive gifts we may not really need, forget that police, prisons, and other forms of state-sanctioned violence are still killing people, and eat food we’re completely disconnected from….may we remember that rest and enjoyment are important AND the harms we want the holiday season to soothe are rooted in systems we must dismantle.
Let’s use this festive energy to think and build creatively and collaboratively and to burn it all down while we build up something much better, centering the work that BIPOC, queer, and disability communities have been doing for years.
It’s my Christmas wish, this year and every year.