Holding Space for Grieving (Episode 253)

It's hard to do another podcast on parenting after another weekend of mass shootings. I'm sickened by the anger and division in our country, and across the world. It can make me feel utterly helpless, and I ache to the core with empathy for those whose losses are immeasurable at this moment with the heartache of gun violence. 

We have to keep on going, and holding up the world in love as some of us need a break to stand still and truly sit with their grieving. As we hold sacred space for those who are in the midst of loss, I invite the rest of us who may be questioning what to do to start with one thing. 

That one thing isn't outward, but inward. In Westminster Abbey in England, the tomb of an Anglican bishop had the following words written on it:

This week, instead of a full podcast episode, we're taking a moment of silence. To reflect on loss, on grieving, and on how we can share light and support in any way we can.

A look at the reality of what is

There is a lot of pain and suffering going on, and part of the process of moving through is addressing that reality of, "it is what it is." So first, simply looking at the harsh reality of violence we're facing. 

Here in the US, guns are now the leading cause of death among young people in the US. It used to be car accidents were the highest risk for Americans ages 1-19. Yet in 2020, gun violence overtook that statistic. So far in 2022, as I write this on the first day of June, 2022, at least 653 children and teens in the US have been killed by guns alone. 

Then there is the war across the world, and the unfathomable losses the Ukrainian people are enduring. According to  Reuters, at this point there have been over 46k deaths, 13k non-fatal injuries, over 400 still missing, and at least 15 million displaced people. 

So what can we do? I can't bring back these lives. I can't take away the heart-wrenching pain of those suffering the loss of these loved ones. I empathise, yet no words I say will be a magic fix. 

So today, we invite you to hold sacred space for them. To send love and healing energy to those families grieving, and to send love and healing energy to yourself as you focus on the love and light you can offer, starting from within - to extend to your partner, your children, and beyond your home. Take a moment of silence with us now - for the lives that have been lost, and to send light to all of us still here.

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