To be and to become: Thoughts around the verbs of being well

One of the most beautiful and individually different verbs in any language is the verb 'to be'. It is a linguistic metaphor that celebrates and radically normalises difference, valiantly reclaiming our right to push against standards and norms in only a few letters and sounds.

The unique form of the verb 'to be' is apparent in its frequent, variable and flexible use. It holds adjectives and moves us through time and space; it provides a window into our emotions, our past, present and future selves. 'To be' is at the heart of our experiences, and our experiences are at the heart of who we are. Accepting and validating all the myriad different ways of being in and with the world further emphasises the importance of environments on the outcome of being well. 

As common as to be is, it remains a verb that resists strict conformity. Its irregularity has unfolded gradually, shaped by centuries of change, use, and human experience. In much the same way, our everyday actions—repeated, lived, and felt—form the fertile ground in which (linguistic) diversity has always taken root. 

Just as we accept without hesitation the different forms of 'to be', we too can flourish when there is space for acceptance, understanding, and recognition of the strength that emerges from diversity: the interweaving of many threads of being into something whole.

It is perhaps no accident that in English, the verb to be rests quietly within the verb to become. When we are able to inhabit our authentic selves—especially in spaces where we feel safe—we are able not only to be, but to become: to gently unravel and disrupt the narrow performances of identity that society so often expects from us.

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