Wealth

I took a long nap instead of doing chores yesterday. It was a privileged moment. Being able to ignore chores and resting in a safe, comfortable place is wealth indeed. Getting cold, clean water to drink was bliss. I cooked a simple meal and it's again a sign of wealth. The kitchen space, the spices, the instant pot and nonstick pans, the sharp knives.

We think of wealth as equity building, with numbers and brands. Millions and billions of dollars are a lot, but so does the ability to rest. The unpaid days off I took when I can't deal with life, the rideshares and takeout I paid when I am overwhelmed, all of these are my 'Hit button on emergency' which I am privileged to afford. Even my therapy sessions are a privilege, despite the fact that I can barely afford them.

It looks bad. It sounds bad. It's not. Not by a long shot. I am privileged. I am wealthy. I have a safe place where I can rest and heal. I have people helping me and keeping me safe. I am protected from the elements, from lack of basic necessities. I can shower, I have clean clothes, I have food and water. There's only one way and it's going up. I have handrails ffs, with lights illuminating every step of the stairs.

What is that to say for other people not as privileged as me? Those who still have to toil under LA's severe heatwave? Those who can't afford the 'hit button on emergency'?

It's time we see comfort and mental health as something equally important as physical health. A broken mind will eventually break a healthy body. The tension from stress and anxiety is hell to our bodies, and it easily led us to unhealthy behavior to cope with it. It's time we start seeing humans as a whole: body and soul. An increased minimum wage with no safe place to live and no time to better yourself is not an answer.

When you champion for change, remember this note. When you want to better the lives of the unprivileged, remember this note. We can make the change. We should make the change.