Grief - written following the riots of May 31st

What we are witnessing is grief expressed. Grief that has not been [properly] acknowledged. Grief that has been denied, bottled up, kept in the dark. 

You see, grief is energy, and it needs to be channelled however long it takes, whenever it takes. It can be in the form of crying, wailing, gnashing of teeth. It can be quiet and private. It can be raging. Regardless, grief is messy and it needs to be channelled. Yet, when that expression of grief has been belittled, discarded, or rushed because society is not comfortable with it. Because we want to move on, get on with it, we invalidate grief and the person or peoples experiencing it. 

So, what we are seeing now is grief, grief that has been repressed and contained for so long that the dam is breaking. Grief that has been belittled because the skin tone, gender, religion or creed is not the same as ours. 

We are confronted with it, and it makes us uncomfortable. But it is not about our comfort level, it is about allowing grief to be expressed, because, in the end, grief is one of the strongest emotions that is shared across humanity. 

So, during these times of trouble, I dare you to face it, bear witness to it. Instead of condemning grief expressed in the form of anguish or riots. What we need to learn from this is to acknowledge grief before it gets too pent up. Say, "I see you, I am here to grief with you, and together we will get through it."