that’s your job: to be here; to exist

sending you love and strength

“The Thing Is” and “The World Has Need of You” by Ellen Bass

“Six Months after Contemplating Suicide” by Erika L. Sánchez

“Night Walk” by Franz Wright

“To the Young Who Want to Die” by Gwendolyn Brooks

“Da Capo” by Jane Hirshfield

“Antilamentation” and “I Never Wanted to Die” by Dorianne Laux

“What The Living Do” by Marie Howe

“Most Days I Want to Live” by Gabrielle Calvocoressi

“Invitation” by Mary Oliver

“I Am Not Ready To Die Yet” by Aracelis Girmay

I really just have to summarize Thomas's entire life:

He was in a committed relationship with a male swan named Henry for 18-24 years before a female swan named Henrietta showed up and mated with Henry.

Thomas was initially jealous of the pair and attacked them, breaking 2 of the 5 eggs Henrietta had laid. However, once the remaining eggs hatched, Thomas warmed up to them and helped raise them.

Henry couldn't fly because of an injured wing, so Thomas taught the cygnets how to fly.

When they needed to reduce the goose population in the pond where Thomas and the swans lived, they dyed Thomas's feathers red so he wouldn't be separated from Henry.

Henry, Henrietta, and Thomas remained in their happy throuple for years and raised 68 cygnets before Henry died in 2009. After Henry's death, Henrietta found another swan and flew away, leaving Thomas alone.

Thomas finally met and mated with a female goose in 2011 and had his own babies. However, another goose named George stole them and raised them himself.

As Thomas grew elderly and blind, he was relocated to a wildlife center where he raised orphaned cygnets.

His caretaker at the center described him as "pretty high maintenance."

Thomas died in 2018 at the age of around 40. He had a funeral that included a small coffin and a procession that was led by a bagpiper. He was buried under the stone where Henry was buried, the two finally reunited in death.