Thank you for such kind words, Heather. I was at such a loss when she left, and I'm fortunate that when we reconnected in the crisis of Hurricane Helene, she was willing to talk to me about her experience again.

I'm not sure why I was more able to hear it now, over a year later. Even now, I still struggled to grasp what she was telling me, and these myths offered some possibilities. I asked her if she felt they represented her experience, and she saw some parallels--but she didn't want her experience to be reduced to an analogy, no matter how good. So they are more for me, as signposts or reminders, and not for my conversations with her.

Thank you for reading and responding, my friend. I appreciate you.