Four and a half years have passed
Much of the world seems to have forgotten
But we never will
This week, we will see faces and stories
Splash the pages of our media feeds once again
We will be reminded of things we would rather forget
Once again coming face to faceÂ
With the tear
In the fabric of our lives
So much has happened since that fateful day –
A deadly virus, an insurrection, more mass shootings –
Sorrow cannot replace sorrow
Each one tugs on our hearts differentlyÂ
Some more visceral than others
Some ever present
Some wounds heal
Others do not
We must take time to remember
Without losing ourselves in the constant hammering of imagesÂ
Of the face of a murderer
Our trauma is not for mass consumption
We ask ourselves what justice might look like
Knowing that the answer to this question
Looks different on each of us
We may hear things that cause us further pain
We may become angry all over again
So we must take time to tend to the gardens of our hearts
We must tune out when we need to
Take a walk in the park
Spend time in loving community
Reach out for a hand to hold
To everything there is a season
As the blossoms bring forth new life this spring
May we walk through our fears, our sorrows and our un-knowing together
And may some form of justice
Be enough
