field notes on protecting love

love does not need my protection...
love does not need my protection...
love does not need my protection...
love is inviting me to embody it...
love is inviting me to embody it...
love is inviting me to embody it...
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as a black woman living in the states, i have been socialized into upholding models of protection that systems of harm and oppression actively shape
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when i’ve felt into my embodied experiences of protection, i’ve often noticed myself assuming postures of hyper-vigilance, defense, hyper-surveillance of myself and others, gatekeeping, fatigue, and being ready to go to war
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in many ways, the residues of these systems live in the models of protection they inform, and thus, as i’ve practiced these models of protection, i’ve found myself further enabling cycles of harm and oppression
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as i deepen into love, this path is not asking me to assume postures of protection but to redirect that energy into embodying love and responding from that space in times of great challenge/unrest and grief.
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i’m asking myself how i can embody love in my solidarity and mutual aid practices with the people of Palestine and all beings impacted globally by genocide and oppression.
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I am asking myself if I am meeting my grief and our collective grief from a space of love.

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