(written January 2026)

“I don’t have anything to say”
floated round the river in my head
as friends and family experienced
crippling deaths of loved ones
work trauma,
family trauma
national trauma
and nature’s wrath.

“I know grief. I know I’m grieving too. How can I help?”
But my heart remained
mute,
silent,
wordless.

Then,
quietly,
gently,
softly,
from a place deep in my soul,
the place my ancestors speak
these words came
for me
and for anyone who will listen.

“You can do this.

Give it time.

It’s ok to feel anger.

It’s ok to feel deep, seemingly uncontrollable sorrow.

It’s ok to laugh and feel joy.

It’s ok to feel like you’re in a daze. And it’s ok to feel clarity and focus.

It’s ok. Just keep living life one step at a time.

Eventually,
maybe in a few weeks,
maybe a few years,
you’ll realize
you have found a new way of being
of loving
of living

And that your grief is not gone.
It’s become a precious
and valuable
part of who you are
and how you live in the world.

In the meantime,
surround yourself with
people who care about you,
grace for mistakes and forgetfulness,
food that nourishes you,
and activities that bring peace
in the midst of the internal storm
and supply energy to your inner core.

Ask for help
to do basic things,
to do hard things,
in seeking companionship,
and when you get stuck in a grief loop.

Remember
You are loved.
You are a precious part of the world.
Your voice and your experiences matter.
You make the world better just by being you,
just as you are, right now, messy and imperfect.”