\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nKellyn LaCour-Conant and the fire crew. Courtesy image<\/p>\n
Still processing my pain, I had a dream: Erin was missing, and everyone was looking for her. My phone rang. \u201cHey sissy!\u201d \u2013 it was her, as if nothing were out of the ordinary. \u201cErin! Where are you?\u201d There was silence on the other end, followed by the sound of gulls, and suddenly I was at the beach. My sister\u2019s voice faded into the waves \u2013 \u201cEverything will be all right.\u201d I was brought to the desert where I locked eyes with a cobra and a hawk brought me a fresh hare. I saw my mom, my sister, and me cooking rabbit together, smiling. When I woke, I told my mom and she was hungry for every detail, some lingering link to my sister. I later dreamed of my stepmom when she passed, my grandparents too when they transitioned. My family started to ask me more often if I\u2019d had any special dreams lately, and to share with pride even the fuzziest recollections of relatives visiting them in theirs. The little girl with big dreams helped interpret the family\u2019s path to where dreams come from, and our loved ones go.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nI did my best to carry on. I accepted that the Creator wouldn\u2019t want me to give up, and neither would\u00a0Erin. I was raised on my sister\u2019s hand-me-downs, so it seemed only right that I found renewed purpose blending her dreams deferred into the life I was now determined to live. While wildlife had always been my key interest, Erin was an artist and healer. She saw the best in people and wanted to bring them joy. Maybe I could find a way to help people, as she did, while also helping the environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nKellyn LaCour-Conant and coworker at the oyster yard. Courtesy image<\/p>\n
As an ecologist, I\u2019ve worn many hats since then. But whether I\u2019m building oyster reefs or tending urban farms, I strive to steward an environment where we can all grow healthier. There\u2019s something sacred about the language of ecology, teaching us how we\u2019re all connected, living and non-living. Restoration ecology is largely the practice of bringing healthy balance back to our relationship with the Earth. Now, working as a climate strategist, I take that same vision and apply it to public policy. <\/span>Many community organizers<\/span><\/a> burn themselves out fighting for human rights and the rights of nature<\/span>. But I stay grounded in my faith, holding abundance and love like Erin would have. I follow the examples of my Elders in cultivating spiritual resilience in our fight for future generations.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAt times when I doubt my purpose or fall back into dismal spells, I seek guidance \u2013 I light candles to my patron saints for clarity, thank sacred fires for restoring our pine forests, pray to the keepers of lightning and hurricane for safe passage through storms, and thank my ancestors for courage.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nI rarely have nightmares nowadays. When I do, I wake up to find my cats snoozing peacefully beside me. Their fluffy comfort settles me back to sleep and all is well. But I will always, always have big dreams.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. The Lifeline provides 24\/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States. To speak with a certified listener, dial the three-digit number 988.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n