Conversations with Oday.
I had the hardest conversation with Oday today. He was trying to come up with some ideas for fundraising and he suggested that I share more videos of what is happening in Gaza. I had to tell him that that wouldn't work and then try to explain it in a way that would not cause any more pain.
I am not interested in talking about negative messages or visits. Online I can ignore and block. In person, I can thank that person in my head, for letting me know that I would rather not share my world with them. I did not want to tell him that some people don't care about things that happen "over there in the Middle East" or that for some reason being pro-Palestinian makes people angry.
As I said to him, I am trying to bring awareness through other means. Through the flower cards, my poetry as I can't write about anything else now and through some other things I am working on. I am painfully aware that those other means must be occasional posts in between my windmills, dirt roads, daily projects, and gorgeous, inspirational projects so I don’t turn people off.
I felt like I was telling him that I had to sugar-coat genocide in a way that made it more palatable and that I had to be aware of how much Palestinian content people could consume so I could keep people engaged and it almost broke me. But he wasn't angry. He was optimistic. If I was facing what he was facing I would be incandescent with so many dangerous emotions that I would be on fire.
It is an honour to call Oday my friend.
I was matched with Oday through Project Love Brocade which is a worldwide initiative amplifying the voices of Palestinian people and providing support through awareness and fundraising.
The best way to help Oday is to donate to his verified GoFundMe page:
I am also selling a range of Flower Inspiration cards in-store and online:
Thank you to anybody who has donated to Oday’s GoFundMe page or purchased a pack of Flower Inspiration Cards. Thank you also for following along with Oday’s story.
xxxLara
Beauty, hope, joy, & inspiration
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