More Than Enough When We Share

Comrades, 

A few years ago, a dear friend invited me apple picking for their birthday. It was a slightly too warm October day, but we still donned our fall finest, and buckets in hand, went out to the orchards to choose our bounty. The thing about apple picking is…all there is to do is pick apples. So you pick them. You fill your bucket. You probably also take some very aesthetic photos. But then you leave, and you quickly realize you have more apples than you have ever before had at once. I started looking at apple recipes, making tarts and pie, and ultimately, more applesauce than I could ever tackle on my own. And so I shared with friends and neighbors. Not everyone had the joy of picking apples in the sunshine, but so many more people got to enjoy the literal fruits of that outing. 

And when I think about the stresses of the last several years of my work, it is the sharing that has gotten me through it. It’s sharing time and space with people. Offering my guest room and deepening friendship through temporary house stays. Sharing food and the love that goes into preparing a meal or just having someone recognize you’re hungry. Having someone pick you up or drop you off. Sharing glue sticks and scissors at craft night. Even when the bills feel overwhelming and the world feels bleak, it turns out, there’s still enough to share. And we get closer to liberation when we do. 

I know that right now budgets are tight as we face inflation across the board. And means more than I can put into words that so many of you give what you can to support the continued work of Freedom Oklahoma. Particularly at a time when we continue to see those with the most close their wallets and turn away from funding 2SLGBTQ+ work. 

If you have the capacity, we’d appreciate a gift that is meaningful to you in this season, to ensure we can continue to give to the broader community through our work. 

In Solidarity and the Spirit of Abundance,

Cole McAfee