By Terry Kyllo
Some of us
are sad about the shooting in Marysville
are angry
feel guilty for not doing more to support our children
are frustrated about the media frenzy
feel afraid for our safety
feel helpless about the future
want to pretend it didn’t happen
can’t believe it did
want to blame someone
react out of fear
fear those who we think are different
think the whole world is coming apart
are emotionally tired
want things to go back to normal
need to cry a lot more
need to be quiet
want to do something concrete to help
cant’ sleep very well at night
can’t concentrate at work
need a break
need to face the facts
find moments of peace
wonder how we will go on
Many of us feel many of these things in no particular order.
Be kind to yourself and to others. Accompany your own feelings. Honor them. Just don’t let them take over.
Just because you feel one way right now, does not mean that you will feel that way forever or even in five minutes.
Greif is a process in which we incorporate a loss into our life. It takes time. More than three weeks. More than three months. It takes as long as it takes.
As we do the work of grief we also will laugh, play, study, work, make bread, do dishes, fix cars, draw with crayons and live our lives.
As we do the work of grief we will be loved.
All of us are
powerful
fragile
beautiful
hurt
sad
compassionate
funny
weird
capable of wisdom
stronger than we think
All of us are all of these things and more.
It will take all of us to make a better future. We sometimes despair because we think the only future worth working for is a perfect one or because we idolize a past that never was. The only thing more powerful than despair is hope.
We are capable of hope.
All traditions teach that we are all a part of one family, that we are all sisters and brothers and that we need each other. We need our differences of skill, strengths, knowledge, and wisdom to be strong together.
Remember that every person you meet today is a human being.
Your sister.
Your brother.
Worthy of love and needing love and capable of love like you.
All of us are human, together.