Belonging
Compassion > Cruelty
Dear Swee-tea,
I hope this finds you with an ice tea, an elderflower cordial, or another refreshing drink! Happy Disability Pride Month and a very sunny welcome if you’re new here.
Happy Disability Pride!
If you are disabled and struggle with the idea of having ‘pride’ about disability, you are not alone! It’s complex. For me, it is important to remember that Disability Pride is a protest as well as a celebration, just like Queer Pride. That said, here are some reasons to be proud that have nothing to do with your medical condition:
You exist in a world that isn’t designed for you and that is something to be proud of EVERY day of EVERY month!
YOU belong to an imaginative, resilient, empowering community of incredible people!
You are part of creating a better world for future disabled people by reducing ableism and raising awareness for social equity!
You make the world a better place.
I have put together some resources that you can use and share, whether you are disabled or predisabled! Including…
A guide on dealing with internalised ableism, and how to spot it!
And you can find a bunch more here!
I’d love it if you can share them so we can continue to advocate for disability rights every day, not just during Disability Pride Month.
Your Voice Matters!
Last time I wrote to you was just before the UK’s General Election, and if we proved anything, it’s that change CAN happen. Now we are gearing up for the US Election! With that in mind, I would like to share this quote from my new all-time-favourite book, Humankind: A Hopeful History, which proposes a radical idea: that human beings are inherently kind. My brother lent me this book at the beginning of the year, and I took 7 months to read it because every single paragraph made me think about something in a different way. I joke that my depression is cured, but really it’s the cynicism that was eroding my core. I felt that people were more often cruel than compassionate. It’s hard to argue when you watch the news or doom scroll for more than a minute— But this book. This book healed my worldview. I truly hope everyone reads it. This is what the author Rutger Bregman has to say on politics:
Give people a voice on how things run and they become more nuanced about politics. More sympathetic. Even smarter. Time and again, researchers remark on the fact that almost everybody has something worthwhile to contribute – regardless of formal education – as long as everyone’s taken seriously.
Politics doesn’t only take place around election season, your voice matters ALL year round! Take yourself seriously. You have great power. Whether it is sharing a resource about equality for queer people, disabled people, women, or other minority groups, avoiding beef or saying a kind word to a stranger, every step of micro-activism is a step towards a more progressive, inclusive, and compassionate culture. Plus, you never know who might be inspired by YOU!
Belonging
Here is a poem I wrote in a recent Poetry Orchard Workshop inspired by the feeling of fitting in after so many years of being excluded. I still long for a world that is not so exclusive, but I treasure my friends and family and the spaces I have grown for myself that promote compassion and inclusion.
When I was a kid I dreamed of this Beyond the lonely lunchtimes surrounded by people Beyond the quiet pain drowning everything out Beyond the dutiful smiles abandoning myself Beyond belief, I longed for this Maybe the years of yearning were necessary Maybe that is why they call it ‘Belonging’
If you’d like to nurture your creativity and meet some lovely people, we have workshops every month- Join in here!
Thank you for being here
Whether it’s a one-off donation or a monthly membership your support really means the world. It allows me to run my website, support people who need it, and continue doing what I love.
From discussing our favourite books, tv shows, films, and creating crafts together, to asking each other for advice and making new friends, there’s nothing like the solidari-tea you’ll find on our Tea with HB Communi-tea Discord Server! You can join the discord communi-tea FREE for a limited time here! If you are unable to support financially, please share TeawithHB.com with a friend! Even being subscribed to this email really encourages me to keep creating.
Love,
HB x
July Favourites
☀️ Good News: Making friendship bracelets with friends for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, including hilarious inside jokes and beautiful beads! Even though I can’t go due to lack of accessibility, I am so glad to be able to join in with the festivities.
📚 Fiction: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
📖 Non-Fiction: Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman
📺 TV: Dragon Prince
🍿 Movie: Hot Fuzz
🍜 Recipe: Massaman Curry by Hot Thai Kitchen
🖋️ Journal Prompt: What makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, like you belong?
🎶 Music: The Secret of Us by Gracie Abrams