Celebrating Kwanzaa Day 1 🖤❤️💚

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty fed up with United States‘ culture and honestly, typical western culture in general. After spending half the year getting to know about Traditional Chinese medicine, an eastern culture, I am fed up with the non-healing traditions in our culture. Some of our biggest “traditions” is to buy alcohol and buy a bunch of STUFF. Where’s the release? Where’s the true release? Alcohol technically hurts our kidneys and stuff fills our rooms but not really our hearts. Other cultures have ceremonies to help it‘s people express themselves as humans. We, on the other hand, suppress it with food, drink and sometimes meaningless conversations.

In an attempt to steer away from this boring cycle, I am celebrating a new tradition. A tradition that gives me something deeper than a hole in my pocket. In fact, it’s a hole filler as it forces me to reflect, connect and grow. I‘m talking about Kwanzaa - a week of celebrating and honoring my ancestors, all humans and myself.

Day 1 of Kwanzaa: Celebrating Umoja or Unity

At our very core we all exist. There is unity in that ✊🏾. Some of us may be struggling while some may have just overcome a struggle. Our human struggles create unity even though they are not the same. The struggle in me recognizes the struggle in you. Stay kind. Stay soft. Stay open if you can.

Understand if someone is rude, angry or aloof it is their struggle causing them to act the way they do. It’s not really them and it’s definitely not you. Be kind to all for you know not....their struggle.

Reflect on what unity might mean to you. To me it means diligently building and servicing ourselves and others.

Namaste 🌞✨

Of All Trades,

Amber