Our Voices are our Greatest Weapon

Let's wield it wisely and for freedom's sake

I arrived home from traveling to the most spectacular winter moon and sky. This pic doesn’t even do it justice. Nor should it. This was one I had to experience with my whole body and not just the lens.

Hi Family!

I was thinking about *voice* today. What does it mean to use our voices? To allow ourselves to cry out about what has happened to us personally, yes, but also to lift up what’s going on in the world. What is the difference between the person who can watch people die and can scream #CEASEFIRE and the ones who can’t/don’t/won’t? There are certainly issues around privilege and apathy and the ways in which so many of us are invested in the very systems that oppress us or others, but for those who do care, who do empathize, who do wrestle—again personally and collectively—what stops us from using our voices?

I think one of the weightiest tragedies that comes from experiencing trauma is that the pain and grief that follows makes us feel like our voices have been stolen. Speaking up and out, sharing our stories, and even advocacy for those around us who are being marginalized feels like a labor our mental and emotional well-being cannot afford. And probably more than anything, it feels unsafe. Especially in a culture that doesn’t value ALL voices equally. If you are a survivor of any kind of trauma, then you know just how important safety is. Our bodies demand it.

I get this. 

I would though like to invite you to consider that—even in the midst of fear and pain and grief; in the middle of personal and global chaos—your voice is your greatest weapon. Wield it for your healing, my friend. Wield it for the healing of the world. Giving your sorrow and anger (as well as your joy and peace) air is liberating. Maybe your voice shows up in a conversation with a trusted friend or in a verbal prayer while alone in a park. Maybe it shows up on the pages of your journal or in the office of a therapist. Maybe it reveals itself at a protest or a social media post. Whatever way you choose to wisely release your voice, know that there’s a version of liberation that comes with that courageous act. 

My prayer is that we all know that kind of freedom. 

Love y’all. 💜

tmlg

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I WON! Best Collaboration (Prescription Non-Fiction Category)

Many of you know that in addition to the other 50-11 things I do, I am also a ghostwriter/collaborator. I prefer to call myself a “literary midwife” because I truly do see myself as someone who helps these authors *birth* their stories. However, doing that kind of work means you aren’t often “in the front.” So it was truly a blessing to be honored yesterday at the Gathering of Ghosts Andy Awards Luncheon for my work on Sisterhood Heals by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford. We won Best Collaboration in the Prescriptive Non-Fiction category.

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