Awareness comes with responsibilities that I don't want to shoulder sometimes. The way that many of us see the world has been flipped upside down, and as a result, people are becoming more vocal about how they've been effected by oppression. Social awareness is at an all-time high but I’m learning that the social implications of being vocal about the issues you care about can be tricky to navigate when some allies would rather not hear it. What those allies don’t always realize, is that we all need safe spaces (digital or physical) to vent our frustrations, and it’s an honour to be welcomed into a safe space.

We’re all (I’m pointing at myself) learning how to navigate a world where one minute you’re one of the oppressed to the next minute, you’re a member of the oppressive group. That means, being brave enough to share your pain AND brave enough to accept your direct or indirect role in the pain of another person. Now is not the time for defensiveness. Now is the time for listening and action. When our friends and family share an experience of pain with us, we should try our best to bottle up our ego and be there for them.