In the case of my death*: I don’t want to die. I love my life, I love both of you, I love my kids and want to be there for them for as long as possible, and I love my people. And also, I have lived a good life. I […]
stories and essays
24 posts
Powerful organizations and advocates wielding power unethically has contributed to violence and bullying even between survivors. This is harmful, unethical, and exploitative, and is a big part of the reason we only hear from survivors who agree with the existing narratives. This movement is not safe when survivors are pitted […]
For more on the range of exploitation that is common (and legal) in many jobs, especially those that involve precarious labor, see: “Are You Better or Worse Off? Understanding exploitation through comparison” by Joel Quirk.
For more about the spectrum of agency and harm reduction strategies to support people in the sex trades, see the Human Trafficking Prevention Toolkit.
Take up space. As the cycle of the seasons moves through mystery and the glow of a new calendar year fills the horizon, know this: you are allowed to take up space. You will have days where you feel broken. Pour tenderness over your missteps and inadequacies. Love them sweetly. […]
Breathe. When the times and spaces where you normally find your breath are dripped and then drenched and then flooded with disclosures and no space is air space… open up space, small space, enough space, and breathe. Pace yourself. One foot in front of the other, each step only as […]
This is a post I wrote for a lovely, locally-owned gift shop I used to work in, and the final product had inclusions from its incredible owners and compassionate staff. In the back of the gift shop was an art shrine, and community members regularly left prayers and offerings in […]
So, while I’m not yet an elder, I’m old enough to start thinking about the kind of elder I want to be, and about what it means to hold space as an elder. It means to hold memory, to preserve traditions, to remind us of those who came before, and […]