08/12/2025
WHY GRIEVE IN COMMUNITY????
As grief teachers like Francis Weller and Martín Prechtel remind us, grief was never meant to be carried alone. In many traditional and indigenous cultures, grief is not a private burden but a communal responsibility—something that is sung, danced, and witnessed together.
Weller speaks of grief as a vital nutrient for the soul, necessary for our full aliveness. But in a culture that pathologizes sorrow and exiles our pain, we are left to grieve in isolation—disconnected from the rituals and relationships that help metabolize loss. He reminds us that we need ritual containers, held by community, where grief can be expressed freely, without judgment or fixing. These sacred spaces give us permission to feel the full weight of our sorrow—and in doing so, they allow healing to begin.
Martín Prechtel echoes this truth when he says that grief is praise, because it arises from deep love. He teaches that when grief is not expressed, it turns to a kind of soul sickness—where life loses its flavor and we become estranged from our roots. In his words, unexpressed grief is “like a stagnant pond”—and it must be moved, witnessed, and sung out loud to be transformed. Ritual, song, and communal expression allow grief to move through the body and back into the earth.
In this way, communal grieving is not just healing for the individual—it is medicine for the collective.
When we gather to grieve, we remember that our sorrow is not a sign of weakness, but of humanity. We bear witness to each other’s pain, and in doing so, we stitch back the torn fabric of belonging. Our tears become offerings. Our songs become prayers. And slowly, we make space for joy to return—not in spite of the grief, but because we’ve made room for it.
