Dear Treasure,
Right now, my ceiling fan whirrs above me as I type this weekly newsletter atop on my bed. Despite the nighttime hour, it is hot. My window is open and it brings in a small breeze. A cricket croaks rhythmically outside and in the background, car engines roar and the occasional siren signals a firetruck flying down the road.
This evening, I’ve spent several hours on Twitter and Instagram, witnessing the range of responses to today’s grief. And that is the new normal. Scrolling and witnessing the responses to the day’s anguish.
And though I am a witness to grief, I also am a witness to resilience.
Everyday, I experience a collective resilience that comes through many expressions of compassion and courage.
Last night, I performed poetry with my auntie. After speaking, we sat in plastic folding chairs and listened to dozens of artists share their pain and their determination to overcome it. It became a balm for my tiredness and disillusionment, energizing me in a way that I forgot was possible.
Tonight, I attended a film screening where I watched three short films celebrating child-like wonder. It was a really special night!
A photo from the film screening event!
But I do not see our shared resilience only in art, I hear it in the barista giving away a free drink to the man in front of me at Starbucks. I read it in historical fiction books describing what resilience looked like in another time on the same planet. I see it in my friend’s becoming parents for the first time.
And it makes me a witness not only to grief and resilience but to hope.
Where did you see resilience this week? 💌
I'd love to hear from you—leave a comment or reply to this email.
Thanks for being here,
Ash