worth it
Image Description: A black and white film portrait of Kae from the waist up. She is wearing a white tank top, black dress pants, holding her phone with both hands while resting on her black cane, looking into the camera, 2021. Photo by her dear friend Patrick Estebar.
Is advocacy fatigue a thing? Because I feel it sometimes. There are days when I feel like all the energy I put towards championing a greater cause goes unnoticed, especially by those who aren’t directly affected by what I fight and stand for. Should everyone become an activist? No, but I do expect allyship.
If we’re not sharing our truths, how can we ever make room for empathy to develop? The human experience is extremely diverse and uniquely individual, and we learn about our differences through people’s real lives and stories.
I’m no martyr, nor did I ever think I’d be in a public position of using my personal story and platform for a bigger purpose, but it found me. Resistance and cowering were always my instinct when it came to my diagnosis. I eventually embraced this path when I felt ready—but I knew I had to give to myself first. There are still shaky days but now it’s just a little wind; I’ve worked hard on building my cornerstone to be who I needed when I was younger. That is my gift to you, and your gifts to me are these beautiful messages as a reminder that not all hope is lost.
(I wish I could post them all but know that I see all of them, thank you). 🌹 x k
Photo by Patrick Estebar.