On Belonging
I’m noticing how sometimes I act like whether or not I belong is up for a vote.
Am I welcome? What do I deserve? What am I worth?
Here is what I want to tell you:
There is no hierarchy of belonging. Of worth. Of deserving.
You are the daughter of your ancestors. This cannot be undone.
You carry the imprint, the layers, of the landscapes you have inhabited.
Here are some of mine, in case I forget:
The myrtle and the mango
The oak and the aspen
The gorse and the gum
The pelican and the cardinal
The woodpecker and the eagle
The tui and the morepork
The gecko and the chipmunk
The pika and the prairie dog
The possum and the mouse
From the Gulf Coast to the Tuki Tuki
From Appalachia to the Rockies
From Mopanui to Te Mata
These layers like paint, like fascia, like skin
Are present even when we can’t remember
Here also is what I want to tell you:
Tend yourself as though you are your most precious possession
Your most precious heirloom from your ancestors
As though it were a matter of life and death
As though your wellbeing is the most precious gift you can offer the world
How would you
Speak
Act
Prioritise
What would you stop and let go of
If you KNEW this to be true?