In this moment where it feels like we are all being traumatized and re-traumatized, healing can feel like a fruitless pursuit. But healing allows us to be in relationship with ourselves, with our earth, and with one another. It is not a zero-sum game where we must only think about ourselves or others. Rather, it is a dance, a process, a spiral.

Regardless of how you identify or what you think about gender, there is no doubt that it is a powerful force for many people, and often effects a great deal of how folks live their lives. Similarly, regardless of whether or not you believe in rituals, they appear to have a strong effect on those who use them. Perhaps, instead of approaching names and pronouns as a zero-sum game, we can instead honor our experiences and all that we carry with us through the medium of rituals.