Wellness is Political.

Today, I hope with every fibre of my being that our American friends vote to end the last four, excruciating years of Donald fucking Trump. His election aimed a glaring light on the darkness that has always existed quietly in the shadows. Trump emboldened the very worst human tendencies - doubt, fear, lies, selfishness, greed, discrimination, authoritarianism, chaos and toxic masculinity - by giving these shameful attributes a safe haven to resurface, a place to breathe, thrive and infect the minds and hearts of many. As horrified and traumatized as I am by his presidency, I’m also grateful for this dramatic, dying gasp of the patriarchy. It woke many up to their humanity and to the fragility of democracy.

Without Trump we wouldn’t have had the women’s march, record-breaking diversity in the US congress, March For Our Lives, Greta Thunberg, the massive BLM protests, more young people than ever attuned to global politics, fighting for equality, justice, human rights, and showing up at the polls to vote for democratic ideals. Our generation is beginning to understand that government affects our lives in a tangible, substantial way - it’s not just a slack, ineffectual institution. It has the power to hugely affect and shape our lives. It matters. Science matters. Truth matters. Law matters. Inclusivity matters. Humanity matters. Justice matters. Leadership matters. Democracy matters. Grace matters. The old ruling class counts on our apathy to maintain its grip on power; our apathy grants them free rein to rule in a way that serves themselves and their interests, often at the expense of ourselves and our interests; our apathy creates an environment that allows greed, subjugation, racism, fear and disenfranchisement to thrive. Do you want a rich, old white man to decide how much you pay for college? To decide how to continue destroying our planet? To decide what rights - or lack of rights - are extended to your Black, muslim or transgendered loved ones? To decide what you can and cannot do with your own body? To decide how expensive or accessible your healthcare, rent or food prices are? Do you want your interests championed within the halls where laws are made or do you want your life and the lives of those less privileged than you to be ignored? 

Enough is enough.

It is our sacred duty as citizens of the world to give a shit about each other’s suffering, each other’s right to liberty, health, basic rights, and the pursuit of happiness. Apathy is not cute. Wellness is not limited to self-love, kale, gua sha and ashwagandha. That is a very privileged scope of white woman wellness that has become a multi-billion dollar industry. The health of our communities - local and global - directly impacts our own wellness in a way that has never been more obvious than it is right now. As I write this, swaths of anti-maskers are protesting globally, prioritizing their petty interests over the health and safety of their communities. These selfish, angry people think wearing a piece of cotton over their noses and mouths that is proven to SAVE LIVES during a once-in-a-century PANDEMIC is an attack and affront to their freedom… The majority of people who contracted, and later died from, COVID-19 are in the lowest socioeconomic brackets. Millions of people who live in developed nations are still struggling to keep a roof over their heads, unsure of where their next meal will come from. Many children still go to school hungry. Many don’t have access to clean drinking water. Many spend every day in heightened states of stress and fear because of the colour of their skin.

Wellness is political.

I don’t know about you, but I refuse to pretend I live in a world where my actions exist in a vacuum. Everything we do affects those around us - the macrocosm is the microcosm is the macrocosm. Although we may be weary and heartbroken after the last four years, the collective has been shaken awake.  I hope we’ve learned that the most noble fight we can engage in is the fight for our human rights, the fight for each other’s liberty, health, happiness, basic decency and safety. I hope we’ve learned that when the collective thrives, we all thrive, and when the collective suffers, we all suffer. Our connectedness is our undeniable, beautiful and universal truth. I hope we’ve learned that we should not and cannot turn a blind eye from the suffering of others. That it is our responsibility as citizens to use our voices and our votes to demand equality and justice for all if we want to live in a fair and free democratic society. That it is our responsibility to use whatever privilege we have been given to listen and act for those who haven’t been afforded the same privilege. That everyone deserves an equal chance. Most of all, I hope we’ve learned to locate our deep, shared humanity and that we remember to hold it close to our hearts for all the remaining years of our lives. Let’s commit to the lifelong purpose of changing the world for the better; for our friends, our families, our future kids, our neighbours, our fellow human beings. It’s the only purpose that truly matters.

Please vote.  

With love,

LM x