Sam Sailor, MHC

I’ve felt out of place for as long as I can remember. Whether it was being an outspoken teen growing up queer and poor in the Bible Belt of the Deep South to even now being immersed in the glittery chaos of NYC life. My sense of otherness sometimes feels like wearing an itchy sweater around everywhere I go and as that sweater grows more uncomfortable, I become more and more self-critical. On good days that sweater feels more like something knit-by-hand with love and I’m able to get nice and cozy within myself. But on the bad days, it can feel like I’m crawling out of my skin, relentlessly picking my threads apart. I found myself back in that scratchy, isolating place recently and was afraid like many of us that I might just get stuck there. But I put up a tearful fight against some of my most intrusive thoughts and I’m gently coming back to the surface by reminding myself of all the ways I’m held by my community. Never alone, but connected to the fabric of a deep queer ancestry. This is a burst of gratitude slingshot out into the universe for all the people who continue to show my soul just how vital queer community really is to our collective healing and wellbeing. And also a tender reminder to all the other queer humans out there that you, too, are an indispensable part of this celestial design. 

We keep us safe,
Sam