January 2026: Here’s the G.Y.S.T 2026 is about THIS!

Gracious New Year!

We closed 2025 asking: How do we collectively care? We defined it together - accountability, mutual sharing, intergenerational spaces, practicing acceptance and being non-judgmental. We even named what makes our space cozier. We also closed our first end of year campaign raising $1505 towards our audacious $50K goal with 9 new contributors which made my heart leap. You can read more of our end of year recap at this previous blog: "Which is what we started with, right?" In the weeks ahead, we will welcome more people to come alongside us as we grow our time, treasure, and talent.

Now it's January 2026, and we're deepening the conversation right back into what many experience as the belly of the beast: the healthcare system within the medical industrial complex in the context of the rest of our lives that also require care.

This Sunday – "Getting the Care We Need" - our January gathering - is about what happens when collective care meets clinical care. When those definitions we crafted in December show up to our own monthly gatherings and how we organize ourselves, as well as doctor's appointments, insurance calls, emergency rooms, and all the places where Black women's bodies and pain get overlooked, dismissed, or mismanaged. Because here's what I know: we can have all the tea and grounding practices in the world, but if we can't navigate the systems that are supposed to keep us alive? That's not collective care. That's just vibes.

So I'm declaring something. Call it manifestation, call it trying to make fetch happen, call it whatever you want:

2026 is the Year of the GYST.

It’s time to GET. (Y)OUR. SISTERS & SIBLINGS. TOGETHER.

Get your siblings together. Get your people together. Not just for birthdays and brunches (though yes, those too), but for the stuff that evidence all says keeps us well. For health literacy. For paint night or a sing-a-long. For insurance navigation. For book club or an afternoon at the theatre. For remembering to schedule that appointment. For showing up when someone needs an advocate in the doctor's office. For sharing resources about that specialist who actually listens. For the January rituals that set the tone for the whole year.

For those who watched Mean Girls, this might be my Gretchen Weiner moment or it might be my Sophia moment in The Color Purple because as a chronically ill person it has felt "all my years I have had to fight". I'm aware of the headlines and ongoing ways we keep watch and vigil for lives stolen too soon to preventable and premature death. But I'm going out on ledge to practice my own self-acceptance. I’m going into 2026 believing that if we're going to build the world we described in those "Let's Talk About It" circles - where accountability, courage, resilience, and shared interest aren't just words on a whiteboard but practices we live - then we need to GET OUR SISTERS TOGETHER.

Join us for "Getting the Care We Need" on Sunday, January 11th.

Join us Sunday, January 11th from 2- 4 PM to lock-in on how we support our health and well-being with Dr. Valerie Stone, Nneka Hall, and Dr. Jackie Omorodion. It will also feature a mini-Sound Bath Vibe Session facilitated by Malaika of Ms. Bonafide Creations where you’ll get to experience first hand a sound-based healing experience. Together, we’ll explore questions like:

• How do we decide where to put our time, energy, and resources when it comes to care?

• What does self-advocacy look like in real life scenarios?

• How do we listen to our bodies, and trust what they’re telling us?

• What health screenings or appointment are essential or recommended to ensure we get the care we need?

• What routines can we holistically adopt as a health community?

RSVP Today!

We aim to reconnect with our needs by honoring our bodies and claiming the care we deserve. Bring your sister, sibling. Bring your people. Let's practice what we defined.

GYST,

Shanaé