Today a bill passed the congress that stripped 24 million Americans of healthcare. They decided that basically being human - especially a woman - means that they can deny you healthcare. Pre-existing conditions include asthma, autoimmunity, having had a c-section, pregnancy, having been sexually assaulted or domestically abused, obesity, and the list goes on. A friend of mine offered what I find the most accurate commentary on the terrifying decision. “Capitalizing on health problems created by our own culture & environment while also using nationalist rhetoric is perhaps the darkest side of capitalism.” - Stephanie Pool I'm sick to my stomach at the victim blaming, fat shaming, sexism, racism, classism, and just plain lack of humanity.
Its a war on women and on the American Dream. And no, I don't feel I'm being dramatic.
0 Comments
As we're coming to the end of the year, its a powerful time to reflect on how far we've come in 2016. The wins and breakthroughs, as well as the tougher times that preceded them.
Its easy to fall into comparison and look at what you didn't do (yes, I did it too thanks to PMS last week ;)), but take a moment to go month by month and really look at what you accomplished. Who were you at this time last year? How far have you come? Thanksgiving is one of those holidays known for bringing families together...but also for pushing them apart.
And there are a lot of families feeling divided post election in a way that may make dinner later today feel more daunting than usual. Some of my clients have been experiencing a sense of isolation in their beliefs since the election, and frustration with the fact that it seems like their families maybe voted against not only a progressive way forward, but the values that make up all of who they are, so in a sense with one vote, their families rejected them. That's a hard pill to swallow and its hard for many to think of today as a festive one. Not to mention with Standing Rock reminding us of the not so pretty history of the day, the tension is thick and fears about how dinner will go are running rampant. So how do we come together today around the dinner table with love, understanding, and without eating everything in sight? How do we express our truth without it devolving into the worst Thanksgiving ever? |
Archives
May 2017
Categories |