Six days after my father died

There is a micro-moment as I wake before the heaviness of a world without you hangs like dense fog. You held the sky up and guarded the gates. You were the unconditional love at the center of our worlds, the touchstone for our lives, until now. We’re on our own, though we remain of your DNA and construction.

Rounding the bend to your deathbed, I promised you I would take care of your family. It is a heavy undertaking; I spoke without thought through loyalty and love. Just as I kept my promise to Grandma, your mother, when I encountered her in the ancestral realm months ago, that I would be present and help you as you transitioned from this earthly existence, I will complete this task.

September 25, 2025