Community, Grief, and Lazy Women
Reflections from our Editor-in-Chief
Dear Lazy Supporters and Friends,
No matter what our exact situation is, we are most likely to be, on some level, impacted by the turbulence, unpredictability, or despair of current events. On some days, it's hard to remain focused on a positive, forward-looking mission while seeing the world going in the opposite direction.
On these kinds of days, when the heaviness of the world is just too much, I've found hope and resolution in turning towards community. And by that, I mean not only my closest circle but also the over 50 women at Lazy Women, whom I communicate with on a daily basis.
50 women coming from every corner of the world, from Turkey through Kazakhstan to Bahrain, who share a sense of openness, honesty, vulnerability, and a deeply rooted desire to turn things around (whether that's on the level of the personal or the political).
As the editor-in-chief at Lazy Women and with a busy and stimulating day job, I rarely have time to write. However, my ideas tend to come to me during difficult moments. Over a year ago, I wrote down my deepest thoughts on coping with grief in the long run. I hesitated about sharing it with a wider audience but eventually sent it to Johanna, a volunteer editor at Lazy Women, asking, "Should we publish this?" She, without hesitation, agreed to help me edit it for a broader audience while preserving the original diary-like tone. We engaged other volunteers, especially those who could relate, for feedback. After multiple rounds of edits and thought-provoking discussions, the piece is now live on Lazy Women.
READ NEW ARTICLE: NOTES ON GRIEF
I'm telling you all of this because I think this process illustrates well the unusual, boundary- and hierarchy-bending way we work at Lazy Women. First of all, we are a community and safe space, where never for a second I felt that I couldn't be sharing something so personal. Secondly, at Lazy Women, we operate with flexible deadlines, leaving all the time one needs to feel ready to share a piece (in my case, an entire year). It's a community where hierarchies can be challenged, new project leaders can emerge, and the editor-in-chief can become a contributor or move to the background when going through a tough time, reassured by the solidarity and trust of the volunteer network.
I truly believe that we are building something unique, innovative, and honest. Our relentless focus on the value we create, not just in terms of output but in terms of the kind of relationships and environment we nurture and the strong community we are building, is truly the biggest value behind Lazy Women.
There are only 5 days left to support our work and become part of this truly revolutionary movement we are building based on the values of kindness, care, and critical thinking. We thank you for your support with all our hearts, and excited for everything that's yet to come for Lazy Women.
Letter by Zsofi Borsi.