Vernacular Pathways: Tales of Loss, Grief, and Transitions

In this episode, I want to invite you into a simple grieving practice, one that has helped me meet disappointment with more honesty and gentleness.

In this episode, we explore the deep connection between anger and grief, drawing wisdom from Heviosso, the West African deity of thunder and justice. How do we honor our anger without letting it consume us? Through storytelling, reflection, and a guided practice, I invite you to sit with your anger, recognize its power, and witness what it has to teach us.

In this first episode, we begin a gentle exploration of grief through a story about my daughter. What is grief, and what is it calling us to do?

In this introductory episode of Vernacular Pathways: Tales of Loss, Grief, and Transitions, I take you back to the streets of Cotonou, Benin, where I grew up, surrounded by sounds, stories, and many many languages. I reflect on the significance of “les langues vernaculaires,” the indigenous languages and identity that carry our unrefined truths, suppressed emotions, and timeless wisdom.