Mending our collective bodies
Have you ever sat around and thought, What would I do in times of the Holocaust? During the Civil Rights movements? During times of injustice? I know I have.
I remember being a child, reading books and learning history. I remember walking through stores and being treated differently because of my looks, because of my ethnicity, because of whatever bigoted views that person had around me. And I remember always wondering: Who would stand by me? What would I do? Would I speak up? Would I be afraid?
The reality of the matter is we’re living in those times right now. It means that we have to spend time mending our collective bodies. It means that we have to spend time learning how to sit in spaces of discomfort and soothing our bodies so that, when we are called to action and when it is time for us to speak up, we have the courage and conviction to do so.
This is something that we work with often at Tree of Life Counseling Center: being able to identify and notice our bodies, what is happening in our bodies, why it is happening, and—without shame or judgment—recognize that some of these responses we carry are remnants of colonization, historical trauma, generational trauma, and lack of access.
For some, the reality is that they have never had to sit in spaces like this. That requires spending time with people who do, who have experienced this, to have genuine connection, conversation, and communication, and to weigh these things out.
And this is not just about politics. Don’t get me wrong, I could care less. What this is about is our humanity: being able to maintain the ability to sit with each other, to have discourse with each other, to create effective change. Because none of us should be content at this moment. None of us should be in a space where these things are okay.
So I invite you to consider seeking out treatment and therapy, whether it is with Tree of Life or anyone else. But I encourage you to ask questions about what framework and approach your providers are using, because we don’t have the time or energy anymore to perpetuate harm. When we hold biased and bigoted views, that causes harm to our bodies. It causes harm to our communities. And it is not something we need to perpetuate.
Reach out today, whether it be to us or someone else. But it is time that we begin. It’s long past time that we began. With everything going on right now, I don’t know how you couldn’t. There is no more looking away.
