Adrienne Rich on Warriors, Tears, and Kinship

I learned too early and then too often that bad things can and will happen to everyone. There is no rhyme, reason, or even meaning in the events that rupture us from the inside; there is only surviving or not.

We may survive despite ourselves. We may survive in spite of other people. In my experience, it is an unsettling combination of the two. These are battles we may not seek or start, but they are filled with moments we must fully engage in. These are the events that define or redefine a person. These are moments so filled with emotion or the lack of it that tears become a language, and we become warriors.

There must be those among whom we can sit down and weep, and still be counted as warriors.

When I found this Adrienne Rich quote, I felt seen. Strange how words can do that. So often, tears are seen as a sign of being too upset, too sad, or too…much. But maybe they are also a sign of surviving. Maybe they are the mark of bravery, the result of getting to the other side of something so unthinkable that when they finally come, they are not only earned but welcomed.

And so, I created this space. A space for kindred spirits. A space for those who understand the meaning of fierce tears. A space for those living their own survival story. A space for warriors shaped more by circumstance than choice.

Welcome.

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