Dark passengers in the shadows

Hey Hedge Schoolers,<br/><br/>I'm writing this newsletter on the heaviest day of the year. July 20 is the 15th anniversary of my brother's death. A day that as a family, we get through. A day that is viscerally charged. In between shares on socials, I find myself swamped in love and community. United in grief and care, I speak to those whose lives were impacted by my brother's presence. Lament has been a passenger for a long time. Those who have lost someone they love will understand the dark passenger that hovers in the shadows. <br/><br/>Today also marks the day that I publicly announced my book beyond this magic community. The path that I feel called to step into is the brokering of dialogue around loss and grief. The book is a raw and personal journey that has taken 15 years to flower. It has kept gnawing at me. And so I want to share a part of the opening chapter. I am not a victim of grief. I am a ferocious lover and lament is a song that honours that love. <br/><br/>Expression through prose and poetry was discovered in the crucible of my own grief. But it has only been recently that I have had the air to move these words from whispers to page. I thank you for taking the time to read, share and reflect. <br/><br/>Excerpt from "a light in the lament"<br/><br/>Mine was a Friday afternoon. <br/><br/>My beige hangover nursed by a belly full of chicken nuggets. My quintessential PE teacher's lunch as fuel, I was setting up the softball diamond for Inter-school sport. As the thud of the third base hit the ground, I felt the haptic buzz on my thigh. Distracted by the arrival of the opposing school's bus, I let it go. Swallowing a gulp of fresh air to help the seediness subside, honouring it with a nuggety belch, I pressed on with my duties. <br/><br/>Again, the incessant buzz...<br/><br/>Reaching into my pocket I noticed a slew of missed calls. The new Samsung phone confusing. Oh, how I yearned for my trusty Nokia 3310. <br/><br/>Looking at the screen, I saw four missed calls in quick succession from Dad. <br/><b