Leaning into the hard when in emotion mind

​What an emotional week.  Sifting through posts about Indigenous Peoples day vs Columbus day.  Digesting and metabolizing the horrific violence and terrorizing that is happening in the Israel-Palestine war creating more intergenerational trauma.  

I saw this graphic above from the Antiracist Institute that I appreciated as mindful/meditative inquiry.

I have been reflecting this week about my tendency to avoid talking about things that could be perceived as antisemitic.  Some of that has to do with polarizing exchanges I have had with people during antiracism workshops or consultations, some of that has to do with ignorance, and some of that has to do with the comfort that comes with silence.  So I posted inside my membership community because that is my "safe space" and silence is really loud and I remember the silence around Black Lives Matter. 

Here is my little prayer because my spirituality and my anti-oppression roots for everyone to be liberated and I have capacity to hold compassion for individuals while condemning atrocities and asking people to be accountable.  That is really hard to do when in emotion mind and your people are being hunted and targeted.

I hope that Jewish people feel validated in their pain and trauma and have the supports they need to see them through this devastating time. I hope that they can feel safe again soon.  I wish for an immediate end to all forms of anti-semitism. 

I hope that Indigenous people are humanized and have an opportunity for their own sovereignty and have their land returned to them and/or reparations paid.  I wish this for Palestinian people as well.

I hope that Palestinian people feel validated in their pain and trauma and have the supports they need to see them through this devastating time.  I hope that they feel safe again soon. I hope that people can separate the acts of a terrorist group like Hamas from the larger Palestinian population.

I grieve for all the lives and souls lost.  I hope that everyone gets their needs met in a way that doesn't require the oppression or subjugation of other people.

May the people of Ukraine and other countries that are experiencing war and oppression that may not be visible in the news be supported.

I hope that the words antiracism, antisemitism, racism, dialectics are not weaponized as the weaponization of these words keeps us from having deeper conversations and building bridges towards collective liberation.

I hope for accountability and reparations for all forms of violence that have happened currently and in our collective history.  I hope that we continue to decolonize.

I hope that we all keep trying to learn more, do more, and support each other in activism and healing.

As Norma Johnson says "silence is not quiet y'all".  

May we all embody antiracism and anti-oppression in our daily lives and be honest with ourselves when we are not able or willing to do that.

Learn more about upcoming trainings with Dr. Edmond.

​Dr. Colleen and I recorded a new podcast episode called "lean into the hard".  I wish we had talked about the above but we weren't there in our journey yet at the beginning of the week.  Podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts and on youtube. 

Updated on 10/23/23 with new episode (13) of the podcast which addresses the topic.