PHOTO AJAMU
I’m tired. I’ve come to understand this feeling intimately. It’s not exhaustion, which leaves me bedridden, but rather an anxiety through which my self tells my mind that I need to slow down, that the pace at which I’m running my marathon is not sustainable. My tiredness is, paradoxically, a motivator, as it pushes me to focus more energy on self-care, on ensuring I have a full tank. Knowing that so much of my self-care is in the quiet moments that I allow myself to spend with Audre Lorde, I run my finger over my collection of her books, waiting for the universe to say “this one”. I slide out Your Silence Will Not Protect You, and start at the beginning: “I have come to believe over and over again that what is important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood”.