Dear
@Antheia & Colossus ,
All I can offer you today is words.
I am a writer. I think I have a fairly high skill level with words. (In English, at least.) I understand the power of words. And yet they seem so trivial in the face of what your families have suffered. This being said, I am committed to not giving up. I am committed to doing what I can to be a force for good in our world. Even when what I can do is so very, very tiny. So, for whatever they are worth, I offer you my words:
I am deeply, deeply sorry for the pain, the loss, the atrocities experienced by you and your families.
Since three years of age I have lived in Canada--a country which is far from perfect, but where I have thus far enjoyed a life largely sheltered from the darker deeds of humanity. My ancestors lived in England during WWII, including my parents who were alive at that time but small children. Their memories of the war--at least the ones they shared with me--seemed to have been largely related to food rations. My mother was separated from her father for a time, as he was deployed to Myanmar (then Burma). She was so young when he left, I don't think she had any memories of missing him. Though she did remember his return home when she was four years old, a stranger who she needed to get to know as her father. My paternal grandfather was too old to be deployed during WWII (he served in the Home Guard) and too young to be deployed during WWI. His elder brother lied about his age in order to be accepted to fight in WWI, and he died in battle.
Clearly the direct impact on my ancestors of those times was very far removed from what your ancestors experienced. So I will not pretend to understand your experiences growing up nor the extent to which you may be feeling anger, sadness, or fear now when you look out on the world and see people forgetting the mistakes of our past. But I want you to know that I see you. I feel your pain (in so far as I am able to). And I will stand with you in speaking up and speaking out when I see people being hurt--regardless of whether or not those people include me.
DAREBEE is not a political forum. Politics does come up here from time to time, because we write about our lives here, and the political landscape very much affects all of our lives. But our mission here in the Hive is to support one another in our fitness and health journeys.
Mental health is a part of health. An important part of it. Which is why you will see me from time to time posting messages of support for people who I know are hurting. I will not be silenced by those who feel threatened by my messages of support!
I will save my more direct political actions for other venues which are better equipped to support them. But please rest assured: I am speaking out. And I am constantly searching for ways in which to do so most effectively. I believe many people here are.
Thank you both for being a part of our community, and for sharing your experiences and your support.
Day 15 of Five Minute Plank challenge
Day 21 of Athena's Playbook
for Antheia.
from
from
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It is so nice to workout together again!
