I write to you in the aftermath of two years of shared trauma. The world ended time & time over, but most things stayed stubbornly the same. Fashion trends came & went, I found a new protein shake to live by, most of us stayed on the same hamster wheel because we were lucky to have a job at all.
My mother was diagnosed with cancer right in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. This, COVID itself & my new understanding of my identity all loomed over me, concrete & steel. In the aftermath, I sit at the balcony, in the hammock, in the cafe, stain my fingers with ink, type until the battery bar turns red & slowly, stitch myself back together.
Being political & queer means that the AIDS Crisis in ingrained into the movements that protect people like me from discrimination. Being a person of color means something twinges in my chest every time I read about racial bias in healthcare. Being American means I recognize the way illness & treatment have been weaponized over & over & over again.
I stand on the other side of illness for the first time, 15 & my bones broken, my heart a little bigger, sure as day that I will face it again in some form. This time, I ask that you join healthline, be there & let art be there for you.
I hope to hear from you in the forum, on the server, or in an application soon.
Feel free to comment, DM, or email any questions. We look forward to receiving your work.
Love, Stuti