AND

And, a simple three-letter word. Those three letters creating that word create, so much space for truths to be held. For feelings to be valid.

January is a haunted month for me. Old memories of people no longer here take up too much space in my brain and January has still been a productive month for me.

February has also been a productive month. Sitting by the fire with friends and eating Valentine’s Day bundt cakes with my boyfriend, and bourbon chased with pickle juice, and hockey games enjoyed with family, and more iced lattes than my bank account cares for.

And too many things in the news that break, my heart. And, I’m exhausted by the state of our country on a soul-deep level. I’m hurt and I’m confused. And I don’t know how we are here as a country.

As a society.

As people.

As families.

As human beings.

When I was in high school I wrote a paper called Dear Society. The paper covered how people needed to open their eyes to the struggles of those of us with disabilities, Which is still true, as a woman with CP (Cerebral Palsy) I will never be quiet about our rights.

Now at twenty-six, a decade after I wrote that paper for one of my favorite teachers; rights for anyone and everyone who isn’t “straight” and white, and male, are in danger. Now more than ever.

I feel like everything I was taught while growing up. You know the whole be kind, give people a chance no matter skin color, gender, background, education, occupation, or sexual orientation, has gone out the window.

None of these things should matter. We should be learning from each other; instead of stripping each other of our rights. Based on what? who we love? How we identify? With whom and how we decide to make a life? It doesn’t make sense, and it never will make sense to me, and I will not be quiet about my rights, and what I derserve.