What to Do in the Darkness

Go slowly
Consent to it
But don’t wallow in it
Know it as a place of germination
And growth
Remember the light
Take an outstretched hand if you find one
Exercise unused senses
Find the path by walking it
Practice trust
Watch for dawn

--Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, "Weavings"

If you are thinking, "No one cares that I am grieving," then please promise me this: that you will band together in these days when the grief comes so uninvited and so persistent, like an unwanted guest at the door who refuses to leave the doorstep until admitted. Submit however long or briefly you must, but reach out for others who understand. Gather them around you, the silent, loving witnesses. Tell them you don't need anything from them except their silence and their love. No one can understand this grief and no one can make it better. But we can simply show up with love in our hearts. Don't grieve alone. Band together. That is what she would want.