The problem is, people seem to think that for our family to be happy, we must have the experiences a typical family would have. But the reality is, my grandmother’s dementia isn’t going anywhere. It’s an illness that will only continue to get worse, and as a family we are limited by our responsibility to her. But that doesn’t mean we don’t find joy. Our joy simply deviates from the norm. It exists despite the coexistence of hardship.
By Aminah Malik April 18, 2023
The weapon of authoritarianism is fear, deriving its power from coercion rather than public will. Thus, to a tyrant, there are no bigger obstacles than joy and hope. Joy is a direct affront to ambitions for a regime of terror and control. To them, joy is an act of rebellion, and to us, it is resilience against the steepest odds because it reminds us we are human. It makes our humanity undeniable to people who wish to deny it.
By Yen-Han Chen April 17, 2023