Grief and All its Friends…
How do you move through grief?
This question has been stuck in my mind for a while now.
Grief for the genocide that is happening in Gaza by Israhell, grief for all trans and nonbinary siblings out there who are being targeted and murdered, grief for all the Black people being murdered by white supremacy, grief for the women being murdered by the patriarchy (brothers, fathers, husbands). A lot of grief…
And today, grief for the 57 souls that were murdered 1 year ago at the worst railway incident that ever happened in Greece. Since this morning, I have been feeling a deep sorrow and sadness. I catch myself looking at the stories about this fateful day and tears rolling down my eyes. If I let myself, I will be crying for days.
Crying and thinking that 32 of them were under 30 years old at the time of their death. The youngest, a 15 year old boy. Those parents, who were called to bury their kids. A young student called his mother 10 min before the tragic incident on that fateful evening and told her “Mom, I’ll be late.” He was late and never arrived.
Tears keep rolling down my eyes while thinking that I could have been one of them. I used to ride the train monthly to and from Thessaloniki where my university was. We were told that trains were safe, that trains show you a different world, that the journey is magical for the train riders. I used to love riding the train and still do.
But I stopped riding the train long before 2023. The connections didn’t suit me anymore, a lot of delays, didn’t want to get stranded in the middle of nowhere. Still, I loved taking the train from Athens to Thessaloniki, a 6h ride, listening to music, enjoying the surroundings, getting in and out of the tunnels, the discussions with people on nearby seats.
Not anymore.
Now, every time I see a train, my mind goes to those 57 souls that were murdered by a government that doesn’t give a fuck about its people. I read the stories of the grieving parents and my mind goes to my parents. It could have been me. It could have been them looking for answers.
Today, it was a day of grief and sorrow. And rage and anger and frustration. Grief never comes alone; it brings all its friends.
This fateful day happened and 57 people were murdered by the Greek government. It was a murder and 3 days later the cover-up started but you, citizens of Greece, how on earth, did you vote for the same dirty politicians again? You, the ones who demonstrated last year for 6 days on the row after this tragic day, you who used to be angry against this government? How did you fucking vote for the same murderous government?
Questions with no answers. A lot of sorrow and rage. And some hope; I still hope that one day Greek citizens will choose a government which aims to better this country not muddy it up.
Until then one can only hope, right?
