In Lak’ech
“Tú eres mi otro yo.
You are my other me.
Si te hago daño a ti,
If I do harm to you,
Me hago daño a mi mismo.
I do harm to myself.
Si te amo y respeto,
If I love and respect you,
Me amo y respeto yo.
I love and respect myself.”
Luis Valdez
I’ve been thinking a lot about all my other mes lately. I grew into the world being guided by the Mayan proverb that we call In Lak’ech—meaning “you are my other me.” In practice, this concept reminds us that we all belong to each other. That each of us is one small but indispensable piece of God’s creation. That we are interconnected. That whatever we do to another person, we inflict upon ourselves. It also reminds us that what we inflict upon ourselves, we do to those we love.
These days I’m trying to practice kindness to myself because that’s what I want for the world. The quiet persistence of love. Song, tears, ceremony, laughter, stillness, liberation… I love myself well because the principle of unity dictates that by doing so I am sending love to all of creation. When I give the world my heart, I know I’m not giving it away to something separate from myself but rather to myself.
I am another yourself, and you are another myself. I hold you close. I love you well.