Navigating Grief: A Toolkit for Comfort

Ms. Renkl, contributing from Nashville, shares insights on the intermingling elements of nature, politics, and culture in the Southern United States.

I devised a detailed Election Day plan, whimsically named the Relief Strategy. My day began in the woods, taking advantage of the temperate weather. My itinerary included visiting a beloved bookstore populated with fellow enthusiasts, collecting a pre-ordered copy of Rachel Carson’s work. I made sure to visit the animal shelter to spend time with puppies. Lunch was organized with a dear friend, followed by a porch conversation with another. The day concluded with some outdoor reading under sugar maples shedding golden leaves.

Other components of my Relief Strategy resembled routine tasks one might tackle during a day off, such as writing thank-you cards, cleaning bird feeders, and pruning zinnias. These activities aimed to nurture bees before summer truly ended. Whether I accomplished all of these tasks wasn't crucial; they served as optional distractions.

This Relief Strategy was essentially a diversion designed to maintain composure during critical moments when the future of our country was in decision. The day was meant for basking in the presence of beauty, camaraderie, and an illusion of peace—if one can imagine stepping back to glimpse such tranquility.

I am grateful for allowing myself this day saturated with kindness. Yet, by the next dawn, my eyes felt gritty, and it seemed as though a boulder had settled in my throat. The sweetness I sought felt erased from existence.

At 63, as a progressive woman raised in the era of segregation in the South, my life has been devoted to visualizing and advocating for a world where leaders like Donald Trump would remain unelected—not once, nor repeatedly. Despite understanding that an alternate outcome would only offer fleeting respite, that reprieve was something I deeply desired. Awakening on November 6th with an alleviated heart was my hope.

Yet, Donald Trump isn't merely an anomaly in the political climate. This has been evident much earlier. Beginning from his descent via a gold elevator, marked by a campaign of deceit, reaching through the tumult of his presidency, his silence during the Capitol siege, and the subsequent legal confrontations that did nothing but bolster his core supporters, the fervent dream he represents remains unbroken.