Have you made space to cry today?

Acknowledging our collective grief

Hello beloved friends,

I love this time of year because the lighting brings my shadow out to play

Have you been making space to cry?

The title of this newsletter, and this question about crying, comes from one of my favorite podcasts, Vibe Check. In this most recent episode, one of the hosts, Sam Sanders, opens with a poem from Jericho Vincent that speaks to the tremendous sadness and grief that all of us with phones feel as we witness unspeakable violence. Vincent very gently asks, Have you made space to cry?

another image of the Conastee River in upstate south carolina

I spent this weekend releasing tears I had held in for over a year. I was glad to finally let them go, but it took an unexpected combination of loving friends, good food, and sad songs to coax them out. Below is a playlist of the songs that helped me release.

Today I made a video where I mused on the importance of war acknowledgments, inspired by the brilliant Marielle Saba, and took ten intentional breaths in honor of the many unjust massacres, genocides, and wars that are happening.

I am wishing you all many peaceful breaths and moments of love and joy as we also bear witness to profound struggle and dehumanizing oppression.

THANK U FOR READING