Coping with Grief

I am angry today and, at some point, will have a lot more to say about all that has occurred over the past weekend and the past month, really. But I am not reactionary. I take my time to gather my thoughts before sharing them on the internet. However, it is important to remember that silence does not always equal inaction or lack of compassion. So

I will not keep a quiet heart,
Instead, there will be an unconsuming fire
At my center
That will bleed across my life and into the world.
Rosy hues will bloom
Spreading a rooted biome
Beneath the soil
Rising with the spring rains and summer sun.
Untethered empathy unleashed by rage
and the need for hope
in an unjust world will roar in my center.
The bold, impassioned,
palpable beat of my own drum
drowns the despair that threatens destruction.
Until the seed planted
by sorrow and injustice
blossom into mercy and compassion.

~original poem by Caitlin Mallery

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Oh God, who speaks in the stillness, help us to weather the storms, literal and figurative, emotional and mental. Grant that we may be safe from all harm, and cared for in danger. Bless the souls of children everywhere, that they may be reminded that they are beloved children of you. Soothe the sorrowing hearts of parents who make hard choices with brave faces. Lift the burdens of all caregivers, young and old, who carry the charge of children, the ill and elderly, and the marginalized. Protect the joy of children whose faith often serves as a reprieve to many adults. Guard the hope of the weary who still believe in worthwhile work. And may the souls of all who have died find peace in your everlasting lovingkindness. Amen.

~original prayer also by Caitlin Mallery