Embracing Authenticity in a World of Judgment

When chronic illness meets unwavering commitment, something beautiful happens. That's exactly what I experienced this Pride Month as I battled through some of the worst flare-ups of my oral lichen planus—an incurable autoimmune disease that leaves my mouth feeling like it's literally on fire—to attend San Francisco Pride celebrations.

For the past four years, attending Pride has become a deeply personal tradition honoring friends and family members in the LGBTQ+ community. This year was special as I finally experienced the legendary Dolores Park celebration. Despite barely managing one meal a day and struggling with severe pain, I was determined to participate. Though my body eventually rebelled against the combination of sun exposure, festive drinks, and nutritional deficits, the experience was worth every moment of discomfort.

Some have questioned how I reconcile being a practicing Christian with my enthusiastic Pride support. The answer is simple: compassion transcends judgment. The LGBTQ+ individuals I've met at Pride events consistently demonstrate extraordinary kindness, warmth, and authenticity. Their personal lives don't diminish their humanity—these same people might be your nurse before surgery, your flight attendant, or the stranger who stops to help when you're stranded. My Mindful Monday message is about embracing authenticity and allowing people the freedom to be their true selves without fear or judgment.

Have you attended Pride celebrations? What traditions hold special meaning in your life despite challenges? Share your experiences and join our upcoming discussion about Independence Day traditions. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to Elkevate your Life on all major platforms!

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome & Health Update
• 2:53 My Pride Month Experience
• 6:36 Defending Inclusivity and Support
• 9:20 Mindful Monday Reflections
• 10:41 Shoutouts to Loyal Listeners
• 13:14 Closing Thoughts

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Ow, chicka, wow, wow, what's up? Party people, thank you for tuning in to another episode of Elkivate your Life, where I am your hostess, with the mostess L as in the letter L and key as in the key to your heart. Well, happy Pride Month, everyone, as it comes to a close. Sorry that I was MIA last week. As most of my loyal listeners know, I recently not even recently, going on what? Six, seven months now diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, an incurable autoimmune disease known as oral lichen planus, and if any of you out there have any tips or tricks or anything, I would love to hear them, because when the flare-up is there, my mouth is on fire. I cannot eat, I cannot drink. I basically was on one meal a day for gosh, I don't even know. It seemed like forever, maybe a couple of weeks, and by the skin of my teeth I managed to summon the strength to go to Pride.

Speaker 1: 1:39

I go to Pride every year now for the past four years. It has become a tradition to honor my loved ones, my community. I have people close to me that are in the LGBTQ community and so, yeah, four years ago I went and had the best time with family and friends and have made it a point to make it a tradition, and so I went this past year, curious any of any pride goers out there, anybody. I mean whether it's in your own city, a different city, I know they have different pride festivals all over the place, but the one I go to is near my home in San Francisco, and for the first time ever I was able to go to Dolores Park, and what a party that was. Oh wow. How have I been missing it this whole time? Now, now I get it. Now I understand the full specter of you go Friday night, you go to Dolores Park on Saturday and then you hit all the clubs Saturday night, unfortunately because of my ongoing, unpredictable, incurable disease of oral lichen planus.

Speaker 1: 3:33

I managed to go to Dolores Park and had a great time with my girls and the hubby and, sadly, in the Uber on the way home, all of the sun, jello shots, lack of food, lack of nourishment started to kick in. So by the time I got back to the hotel I was like, oh, I just need to puke and rally and I'll be fine. Yeah, no, that actually wasn't it. I was very malnutritioned at that point. I hadn't been even able to eat a meal a day for several days and it caught up to me. So, and last week I just was going through it. My mouth was on fire all the time. I wasn't eating, I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't drinking enough fluid, so I just couldn't bring by myself to do the pod.

Speaker 1: 4:38

So thank you for hanging in there and being loyal listener. I appreciate it, and thank you to my loyal listeners. Do want to ask you to like, share, comment, subscribe. It helps the algorithm. I am on all the platforms, from YouTube, buzzsprout, apple, spotify, amazon Music, deezer, podchaser and countless others. So curious did any of you make it to Pride? Are there any Pride viewers, listeners out there that are listening to my podcast currently?

Speaker 1: 5:26

Well, as I said, even though I am a practicing Christian, I have many beliefs, and I am also of the belief that it's not my job to judge it's his pointing up to the man upstairs or wherever he is and so, for that reason, I support various different causes, and this is one that is near and dear to my heart. So, yes, I attend every year and have for the last four years, and hopefully next year can go with family friends. All of that, all of that. I was happy to enjoy it with Carly and Rain, who I wasn't able Rain shout out to Rain first time meeting her and Carly. Unfortunately my kids could not be there this year and I wasn't able to reunite with the friends that I usually reunite with. But all in all, dolores Park was an experience and I highly recommend it. If you haven't been, you should go.

Speaker 1: 6:55

Always takes place the last weekend in June, and I just have to say to the people that are commenting on my social media you know, just because I'm a practicing Christian doesn't mean I can't have other beliefs, and it's unfortunate that we live in a society where people feel the need to insert their thoughts and opinions of how dare I say, let your freak flag fly. And it's like, why not? What people are doing behind their closed doors, in their bedrooms, their homes, wherever they are, it's not affecting me, but I have to tell you these people that I meet at these events are the kindest, warmest, most welcoming, most giving people that I've met, that I've met and while it goes, you know, while I don't partake in that activity, it doesn't mean that I can't be supportive of them and their freedom, and so that is why I go and support for the sake of family members, friends, people that are close to me. I like to support them and their cause, and I'm proud to be a part of that, because you know what. At the end of the day, what if that person is the person that stops you and helps you when you're stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire? Or what if this is the person that is your nurse when you are about to go in for a needed surgery? I mean, who knows? Or what if this is the person that is serving you on your flight? I mean, we don't know, but I can tell you they're people and they're human beings too, and I like to recognize that. So that's what my Mindful Monday is all about is just being your authentic self, being true to yourself, whoever that may be.

Speaker 1: 9:20

And happy Pride Month. We have 4th of July coming up right around the corner, so on Wednesday I'm sure I'll be asking what are you doing for 4th of July and what are your traditions? Be very interested to know what they are. Shout out to my loyal listeners. Lisa Roberts Curbelo Hope to see you at the birthday party extravaganza rave summer. The Birthday Party Extravaganza Rave Summer. And shout out to lovemyartistetsycom Cara. Shout out to her. Please give a warm welcome. Take a look at her Etsy page Right now. She has some amazing song choices, musical dedications to if you want to ask a woman to be your maid of honor, if you want to use this song as a proposal to your bride, just some very talented productions on her lovemyartistetsycom page.

Speaker 1: 10:44

Shout out to Angie Lavelle, thrive. Thank you for keeping me looking so svelte and young and healthy. Thrive lavelle through angie germer you can find all of these web links on my page and angie germer Germer, who is a distributor for Thrive by Lavelle. They fill the nutritional gaps in a healthy way and I'm happy to say that I was a part of that. Thank you so much, angie.

Speaker 1: 11:26

Shout out to Mike Kaufman, my water source man. If you're looking for filtered water, you should check out Primo Ready Fresh Waters. Yeah, they offer filtration, no contracts. Jeff Parra, jeff Parra, thank you for always keeping me grounded and sat of sound body and mind and spirit. Namaste. And thank you to professor kyle, guru kyle, kyle, guru Kyle. Shout out to you and your Audible found on Amazon Commit into love.

Speaker 1: 12:15

Love is a verb. And feliz cumpleaños to my loyal listeners out there, to Amor a Few and to Daniel Daniel, if you're listening, birthday shout out to my Gemini, xandor cancers. Anyway, that's really all I have for today. I just wanted to tell you that Pride was amazing. So glad that I made it to Dolores Park this year. Amazing, so glad that I made it to Dolores Park this year. And would love to hear everyone's thoughts and opinions on pride, pride month. What do you think about it? Do you have any thoughts and opinions? Do you want to share your thoughts and opinions? Are you in the same position that I? Am? That to each their own? Does it matter what you do behind closed doors, excuse me or in your bedroom, or do you have other thoughts and opinions that you would like to share? In Wisdom Wilderness Wednesday, like I said, I'll be talking about traditions for 4th of July, independence Day, what that means to you and your families. So gather your thoughts and feelings and opinions, and I will look forward to it. In the meantime, ciao, for now.