Collective Grief

credit: Dadu Shin

This week I am struggling to find the right words to describe how I am feeling about the world around us... "Overwhelmed", "disappointed", and "sad" start to scratch the surface; but no words seem to accurately capture the hollow ache in my chest.

I was in denial in November, angry in December, I even bargained with the Universe for awhile this month - but now, I am firmly planted in my depression stage.

Before Trump's first inauguration in 2017, I wrote an article titled "Why Trump Worries My Generation", and it was published in my local newspaper. Adults in my community attacked me (then 16) in the comments, and guaranteed I was wrong. I don't want to spend a lot of my focus on him. I simply want to acknowledge that, in 2016, teenagers/young adults understood more about politics than most of the adults in this country. Now, we are adults watching our future burn because again we were not heard.

People have said goodbye to family members and friends who have gone down the conspiracy pipeline. Some have had to distance themselves from holidays and traditions as a result. This - for me personally - has made for a difficult Winter this year.

This week, I have allowed myself to rest. I took a break from social media. I didn't watch the tone-deaf circus on Monday. I have scheduled specific times of day to check the news but will not allow myself to doom-scroll.

If you feel how I do right now, I would love to share some thoughts about grief:

1. You can experience the stages of grief many times and in any order. You may go through one stage for a day and another for a month. There is no formula for grief.

2. Some people may not experience all five stages. There is no wrong way to experience grief and your grief is your own.

3. Grief can cause fatigue, confusion, distraction, loss of motivation, and loss of appetite. Honor your feelings and comfort yourself in the healthiest way you can. Make sure you drink plenty of water, eat healthy food, and rest consistently.

Take care of yourselves, friends! We will get through this together <3