Soco Rey Therapy

Yesterday, I talked about turning this page into a canvas for my life and my liberation. Today, I want to show you the fabric I am cut from.

Meet my brother.

When you look at him, you see a powerhouse. At just 28 years old, he was elected to office in San Bernardino, taking his seat five years ago in 2021. He’s 34 now, but he’s been ahead of the game his entire life. From hosting his college radio show Revolutionary Prose to leading a widespread moratorium on warehouse development in the IE, he has always fought fiercely for environmental rights, human dignity, and basic respect for working people.

I am a trailblazer in my own right when it comes to mental health, healing, and absolute sovereignty. But trailblazing runs in our blood—and it costs something.

We watched our father give everything he had to the collective, revamping public school systems in immigrant and low-income communities until he literally lost his health to the work. We learned a profound, heavy lesson from that.

A while back, during a raw conversation with all four of our siblings, a question was put on the table: Do your thoughts ever go dark? My brother and I were the only two to say yes.

When you are wired to carry the grief of the world and a desire to fix the system, the weight can become crushing if you consistently put everyone else first.

But look at us now. Sitting in the trunk of this ‘75 Cadillac, surviving the very systems we were born to disrupt.

We love our people, but we refuse to burn at the stake for them anymore. We are learning to find our balance, choosing pleasure and peace in our day-to-day lives, and realizing that our joy is just as revolutionary as our labor.

I am so incredibly proud of our bravery. Proud of how we’ve fought for our communities, and even prouder of how we’ve fought to stay alive, stay soft, and stay free. Born from rebels, thinkers, and healers who are finally learning how to thrive. 🕊️✨

📸: Will Utley Photography