Spirit of alongside, right there with you, in this thing together:

Remind me of a time when I was struggling.

When I was sick or lost or in shock or exhausted or in grief.

And someone came to accompany me.

I remember what they did and whether it

soothed me,

centered me,

pissed me off,

wounded me,

Whether they wanted details so they could judge me or tell stories of how they helped.

Whether they left when it got really messy.

Whether they had more pity than love.

Or whether they knew how to cut through it all and be a tender, solid human beside me.

Accompany is a fancy word for what we would do for friends, family, a co-worker’s cousin, a kid’s best buddy.

When I go with someone—to court, to an ICE check-in, to jail, to the hospital, to the school, to meet with the probation officer or lawyer or the social worker:

May I accompany others, knowing how I wish to be accompanied.

May I accompany others how they wish to be accompanied.