How To Be A Tender Activist
lessons from Summer's Magic
Friends,
In the midst of everything happening in our lives and in the world, can we just pause here a second? Stop what you’re doing, put down the phone, the distractions, and take f o u r
d e e p
b r e a t h s .
(I’ll wait.)
Okay. Do you feel any better? Anything shifting or the tightness in your shoulders letting loose a little?
Keep breathing, friends. We need it.
I want to talk about this tricky thing called activism today, and how it relates to my upcoming children’s book, Summer’s Magic.
I don’t really like labeling myself an activist, and I think it’s because
I feel like I don’t really know what activism is and it keeps changing
I don’t feel worthy of the title
Activism is about direct action against something/someone, a movement. I think about activism being about activation, as in, what are we activating in ourselves, in the world around us?
But in an era of social media, what is and isn’t activism becomes a bit blurred for me. If you’re not protesting in the streets, are you an activist? What about immunocompromised or disabled activists, don’t they count? Is the power of words enough to be considered activism? Are we truly embodying what we say or is a lot of our stuff pretty performative?
Which brings me to the second thing, which is about shame and guilt and this societal problem of what we deem as “laziness” or people not caring. This is why I wrote my book Living Resistance, to stretch and re-imagine what resistance is, and how we resist a dangerous status quo in every single area of our lives.
Because we live in a society that rewards doing, if we feel like we aren’t doing enough, we feel like we’re failing.
Between writing books, that space where one is finished and one is yet to be written, I doubt my role in the world—what am I giving to others, how am I helping to foster healing? I’m not actively writing, and yet people are reading the words I’d spent the last few years pouring my heart into.
It’s ironic, isn’t it?
So what does it mean to be a tender activist?
I didn’t mean to make Bo an activist, not really. But halfway into writing Summer’s Magic, I realized that’s exactly what he is— a tenderhearted human who wants to love Mother Earth and inspire and invite others to do the same.
So how does Bo activate—his heart, his relationship to Segmekwe, his community?
he grows a garden that feeds his friends and family
he takes care of a nearby river by picking up trash
he invites his friends to join him in caring for the earth
he prays
he faces his fears and asks for help when he needs it
he dreams big dreams
Does this sound like activism to you?
I’ve shared with you before that I hope my children’s books aren’t just for children—I hope that you buy them for yourself, too, for others in your life, because we all need these reminders, that our relationship to ourselves, each other, and Mother Earth matters.
So in the coming days and weeks, ask how your activism shows up, even in the most subtle, tender ways. Ask how you’re moving throughout your life to upset the status quo of hate and colonialism.
And keep dreaming of new ways to do so.
I can’t wait to dream with you.
A few things to share!
I’m headed to IRELAND this fall! If you’d like to join me, Micky ScottBey Jones, Gareth Higgins and Brian Ammons for a special retreat on storytelling and healing, this is perfect for you.
From the retreat website:
You’re warmly invited to join us on a journey of hope, healing, creativity and community - staying in historic restored rural accommodation including cottages in lovely natural surroundings and a retreat centre on the grounds of a converted country house by the sea on the edge of Belfast with a group of friends old and new.
We'll enjoy the landscape on amazing walks, hear music and story, meet locals, experience the peace process in encountering people directly involved in activism and change, and get to know the culture of northern Ireland, immersed in a community rooted in the depths and creativity of Celtic spirituality.
Learn more here, or simply APPLY NOW!
Second, if you love a personalized, signed copy of your favorite books, I’ve got a special treat for you!
I’m partnering with Main Point Books to sign books for anyone who orders their copy by MAY 22nd!
Please grab a copy for you, your neighbor’s granddaughter, your friend’s kid, your school librarian or local library, all the books for all the people who love the magic of summer!
Order your signed copy of Summer’s Magic HERE!
And lastly, I’m leading a mini-retreat on April 18th from 7-8:30pm ET. We will be focusing on the communal realm of resistance and how to embody care when it comes to ideas of kinship and belonging.
We’ll be journaling, writing poetry, and breaking into sharing groups. We had our first session last month and it was so incredibly special. Please join us for an hour and half of taking a lot of deep breaths and honoring our resistance in the world.
Grab your ticket here!
Yup, when I hear the "does this count as activism" conversation, it send me directly to the parallel conversation of if we are enough to count as our various identities. Am I queer enough, am I [insert culture or ethnicity or race or locality] enough, am I qualified/educated enough to call myself...., etc. It just doesn't seem to help move us forward. Instead of asking if my work "counts as activism," I look at the change I'm actually making and consider it worthwhile when I hear from others how my work is impacting them. People who don't know what they are talking about can tell us we aren't "real" activists, but people who do know us and our work are not saying that. They are saying, "Thank you, I thought it was just me, I finally don't feel alone, I'm so glad to have learned this, This inspired me to do XYZ, and This is so helpful."
This was worth a resubscription!