How do I process collective grief when everyone is mourning the same tragedy?

There's a strange electricity in shared mourning—everyone is broken at the same time, and sometimes that collective fracture feels less lonely. But it can also be disorienting. The grief that's everywhere is also nowhere to hide in. Social media becomes a constant feed of other people's pain, and you might find yourself performing your own grief or comparing its depth to others'. Mirabai understood something about this in her devotional practice: grief becomes most alive not in isolation, but in communion. Yet even in community, your particular grief is yours. It matters that you knew this person, or that this tragedy touched something specific in you. Create small rituals—alone and with others. Light a candle. Write something. Attend a vigil. But also step back from the noise sometimes. Your examined heart needs space to feel what only you can feel. Notice if you're scrolling through others' memories to avoid your own sadness. Notice if the collective narrative is overshadowing your personal truth. There's freedom in both mourning together and mourning alone.