The Coordinates of Loss

by Amanda Prowse

‘Your family, your kin, that’s all you have; it’s all we have. Those in the present and those gone before, we all share the same things and we are bound. Understand that it’s in the life-defining moments, when a scream leaps from your throat, be it in joy or fear, and your hands reach out to grasp the wisps of reassurance that float in the ether – strands from a fine gossamer cloak woven of memories and stories – yes, it is in that single moment when your eyes and those of your ancestors are aligned, that is when you are touching your history, your people, your heritage. That’s when lessons can be learned. And whether they are living or whether they have passed on, it doesn’t matter, not in time. We are and we will always be together. That is how you move forward, Rachel.’