Children of the Sun - Print

TW: Suïcïdë mention

My hometown, Spokane, is Salish for “Children of the Sun”. I’ve always struggled with claiming this as my “hometown” with how much I moved around Washington state in my childhood, mostly between there & the Grand Coulee area on the Colville reservation.

Growing up into myself between the two were vastly different. Spokane is Washington State’s second largest city, & the Grand Coulee area is a collection of small towns linked together by Highway 2 in the middle of nowhere surrounded by magnificent canyon walls that were carved by glaciers thousands of years ago.

Throughout my adolescence & adulthood I have had a lot of friends, friends of friends or family, & students in other nearby communities pass away from losing their battle with mental illness. Some significantly younger than others, but all carrying the colossal weight of their pain walking day in & day out trying to be the sunshine for others around them. Early February, 2024 another child from one of my small town communities lost this battle. There’s a familiar ache that comes crashing every time someone loses their battle. I can remember so vividly how isolating it was to grow up in these small communities, let alone high school, & how easy it is to forget there’s a world waiting for you on the other side. How one choice can change the trajectory of your life & everyone around you. This budding generation has known pain that no group before them can identify with, but we can make the choice to hear them. We can support them in cultivating a space for them to speak their truths with open hearts. We can love them through it as they learn who they are outside of the pressures they’re experiencing.

This one is for my “Children of the Sun”, each growing soul that didn’t get the opportunity to experience life outside of their ache. I hope you’ve found your peace dancing in the clouds, & singing to the stars every night.

For those who are still struggling through this winter, please hang in there, you’ll be dancing in sunbeams soon but we need your feet on the ground.

I love you all so much.