Augustâs Theme is Pride
Our August theme is Pride, chosen by our Palm Beach chapter and illustrated by Kayla Griffin.
Pride is a celebration of our truest, radiant selves and a defiance against those who expect us to dim our own light. We live in a world that often encourages us to take up less space, to conceal the parts of ourselves that canât be easily commodified or consumed. Or worse, what we reveal exposes us to oppressive actors and systems who steal away our dignity.
Pride is a powerful affirmation of authenticity. It gives us the grace to show up as ourselves and live in alignment with our values. It embraces every shade of our longings, our regrets, and our hopes â these beautiful and powerful things that make us who we are.
Pride is when you stand tall and say, âThis is who I am.â Pride is when you reclaim the parts of your identity that others might have scorned. Pride is when you raise your voice in defense of someone who is powerless, saying âEnough.â Because that someone might just be yourself. How will you unfurl yourself fully? How will you extend safety and solidarity so that we all may be unapologetically ourselves?
We asked you, What are some of the things you take pride in? In what ways do you affirm your authentic self? Your submissions brimmed with the joy of living out your truth, of how proud you are to accomplish what youâve done despite immense odds.
đ Pride and Joy
âThis collage from June 2023 represents my experience of Pride. To me, pride means staying true to myself despite being pushed to the margins. It means breaking the mold and going beyond what we were taught growing up. Pride to me is about life itself because I never saw a life in not being myself. â Lex Stress, Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
ââThe History of the Graham Crackerâ is a personal project that I started working on while on maternity leave and then later finished in between contracts. I’m super PROUD of the fact that I stuck to it and have a final video that I am proud to share with the world! â Joanna Goldman, MontrĂ©al, Canada
âLa resiliencia es la capacidad de convertir un problema en oportunidad para crear algo nuevo. La creatividad nos salva.â Translation: Resilience is the ability to turn a problem into an opportunity to create something new. Creativity saves us. â Silvana Cor, Spain
âI would like to share a poem that I wrote in one of the Breathe into Poetry workshops that opened up what matters the most to me â writing. Being able to write down all the things I cannot say out loud or the thoughts that are drowning me in anxiety has been the greatest joy, and something I am proud of in myself.â â Kris Kaila, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada