Holding space for grief
Honoring Ainslie O'Neil
Hello Shared Ground community,
It’s with a heavy heart that I share the death of a beloved and dear friend of myself and many of us in the community. On Sunday Ainslie O’Neil was struck and killed by a car as she biked across Federal on the 35th ave bikeway. This is an intersection that Ainslie and I have crossed hundreds of times and that I will cross hundreds more as I bike from her home (where I live) to Shared Ground.
I am filled with grief for the loss of such an amazing human. I am holding deep restorative compassion for the driver who ended her life. And I am burning with rage against the black snake of petroleum and the entitlement of cars in our city.
My dear friend was killed by the very infrastructure and policy that forces people into cars. She is another death among so many that are sacrificed to the systemic atrocities leading to so many ills, such as climate change.
Shared Ground is a space to dream of a better world where riding a bike isn’t a dangerous ordeal and it is also a place to hold community, especially when our community is in grief. Last night at Honeycomb yoga we held a powerful grief ritual in honor of Ainslie, who was deeply connected to the Honeycomb community and loved biking here to practice with her beloved community.
The shrine we created in her honor is still in the silver room. I (and others) will be doing a sort of sitting shiva to keep the doors open so that anyone who wishes to pay their respects can be welcomed into the space and visit Ainslie’s altar.
Shared Ground, 3401 W 29th Ave, Denver, CO 80211
For the next week you can expect the memorial space to be open from noon to 6pm, we’ll post updates on our instagram. You can also feel free to send us an email at hello@sharedground.co
With love,
Drew & The Shared Ground Steering Committee
P.S. if you wish to share well wishes with the family or community you can send us an email and we'll pass it along to the appropriate people.
