Hi grievers,

I am feeling heavy with grief. With that comes a deep sense of concern for our environment, humanity and all beings.

For most of June, I had the fortune to visit my place of birth, Singapura/Lion City. Walking out of the airport with my cousins shortly after I got through security (and learned I was still a Singaporean citizen - what?!), was like walking into an oven. If y’all think summertime in Ontario is humid, you haven’t felt the humidity of a tiny island just above the equator in Southeast Asia. All my crevices were sweaty. The last time I was in Singapore was three and a half years prior. I think it got hotter since then.

The air quality levels here in Nogojiwanong-Peterborough are terrible. I am not sure how folks are jogging and riding their bicycles without wearing masks. I’m scared for the present, and for the future. I wonder how humans fucked it up so much in the past to get us to where we are now. I blame colonization and a lack of reciprocal relationships with the Indigenous people of this land. I blame power. Greed. Violence.

I feel angry. Sad. Worried.

I am trying to feel hopeful, as well. I am trying to do what I can for my kin and community.

My lovely friend, Celeste reminded me that mullein is a great support for the lungs. I picked up mullein tea and made a mug at home. Breathing in the steam was a balm for my soul. Celeste also told me that chrysanthemum is very cooling. I am reminded of buying cold chrysanthemum tea from street vendors in Singapore when I was in my teens and early 20s. I was drawn in by the flowers floating in big tanks. The taste of the refreshing beverage had me coming back for more with each visit back home.

My friend, Liz of Creative Care Work has a Discord server for grief. There’s a section for Eco-Grief with many resources. I’m grateful for Liz, the spaces she creates and the care and dedication she puts into her work. (More resources from Liz listed below.)

I am honoured to continue to mourn alongside many of you who have shared your grief around climate change with me. May we turn toward ancestral knowledge and wisdom to alchemize our pain into action when we feel called to do so. The practices we honour now are in our blood and bones. May we remember how to commune with the land, water, air, space, and our kin in a way that is sustainable.

Consider the gifts your ancestors passed down to you and how you may use them to better your community.

Tune into your body, notice where your body may be holding grief, rest a hand over that space or simply breathe into these areas with the option of closing your eyes.

Think of all the things you love about the earth, yourself, and your loved ones. Hold them all close. A better world is possible. Stay hopeful.