my dad lives in iran. he moved back (much to my discontent + heartbreak) when i was 17. it was a dangerous decision—one i will never fully understand—but it was rooted in his fierce belief that a free iran is possible in his lifetime and that his activism would be more powerful from within. i haven’t heard from him in 168 hours. ~12K protestors have been murdered. if you know my dad, you know he lives for a protest. fearing for the safety of your parent is a gut-wrenching, immobilizing feeling. the islamic regime has stolen so much from so many over the last 47 years. i could list all the ways my dad’s decision reshaped my life (still does tbh), but that feels insignificant compared to the devastation this regime continues to inflict on iranians everywhere. i blame the islamic regime for countless atrocities, but i also blame it for robbing me of my dad. it would be easy to let this grief consume me. like my dad, activism is in my dna. if i allowed it, what’s happening in iran (and tbh the injustice all over the world) would be all i talk about. but, i refuse to let the islamic republic steal more from me. i refuse to let it rob my daughter of a present parent + me of the magic of motherhood. i hate that we live in a world where people judge the depth of someone’s heart by what they do or don’t post online. sometimes joy is resistance. sometimes choosing presence is an act of defiance. and sometimes, distractions aren’t avoidance, but a method of survival. to my fellow iranians worried about their loved ones: i hope we hear from them soon. to my friends who know this pain because they’ve watched their homelands be torn apart by unrest: i see you. to every iranian who is aching for a free iran: i stand with you and i stand up for the liberation of our country alongside you. most importantly, to the iranians inside iran who are bolder + braver than i could ever be: i’m never not thinking of you. we will be your voice. if you’re still reading this, these words are an attempt process the anxious mess that is my mind. this community has always helped me feel less alone. thank you for being here. thank you for letting me share. i love you. #freeiran