Tahlequah, an endangered Orca in the Pacific northwest lost another calf in 2018, she was so overcome with grief, she carried her dead baby on her snout and fins for days. Unable to fish, unable to eat, researchers were concerned she may also die. They considered intervening as she carried her baby over a thousand miles. A week went by. Then two weeks. Finally, on day 17 she relinquished her calf into the deep.
The primal grief of a parent, who has lost their child is an engulfing sensation of pain and powerlessness. There is no way around it. Only through it. Tahlequah taught me that grief is primal and goes beyond species.
She taught me that grief is part of the natural world. She affirmed that needing to hold my baby after she died was
instinctual and an important part of my process.
Thank you Tahlequah. My mother's heart is mourning and wailing with you.
“The cure for your pain is in your pain”. -Rumi
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