On Navigating Elsewhere and Learning From Shared Grief
In Elamin’s book “Son of Elsewhere” he speaks moving from Sudan to Canada and the poverty of individual grief. Going the other way offers an opportunity for learning and growth as well
There are as many grief stories as there are love stories; there is no single right way to grieve. In Elamin Abdelmahmoud’s book “Son of Elsewhere” for example, he describes the experience of being in Sudan, where grief is communal:
“A house of tears goes on for days. The tent remains fixed outside for a week or two, long after the burial, because a house of tears is an endless stream. In this stream, it is men talking gravely and women crying, and to the outsider, it always looks like the house of tears can’t fit any more people, but on the inside, if you’ve come to mourn, there is always room for your grief.” (p.175)