10/30/2026
As a Brown, Q***r Woman, I never thought a small town in Canada would be a place where I would feel a sense of belonging.
My partner lives in a small town in British Columbia. It is predominantly white, a ski town, and I stand out the moment I walk down the street. There are still whisperings of racism in the culture and the systems there, and I felt that right away.
And over time, something shifted.
After almost two years of visiting, getting to know people, and experiencing it from more of an insider place, I started to see something I did not expect.
I met people who care deeply. People who show up for each other and who are actively standing up for those pushed to the margins. There are real conversations. There is a genuine checking in of, are you okay, what do you need. There is a level of care and connection I have not experienced in the same way in the city.
It surprised me. And it stayed with me.
For most of my life, I’ve been the one asking those questions. Holding space for grieving families, for my community, for everyone around me. Being on the receiving end of that care reminded me how rarely those of us who hold space for others get asked.
If you’re a caregiver, at work or at home, I want to ask you: when was the last time someone checked in on you?
That’s why I created First, We Come Home: five weeks of guided support for caregivers and practitioners, starting in January. It’s live on Zoom with a small founding cohort of just 6 people. A place where you get to be asked, too.
✨ Comment “WAITLIST” to join or be kept in the loop.
And I’d still love to know: where has belonging surprised you?
