dear beloved community,

today, April 26, is 2 years since Hnin's passing. the first year was mostly gasping in agony. but over time, i’ve learned how to breathe again. it’s not because i miss Hnin any less, or the depth of sadness has diminished (as i mistakenly expected). i just learned that being sad isn’t bad or hurt me further.. and that i can tend to it and even care for it as a breathing reminder of the love we shared.

maybe one thing that helped ease this path was knowing that Hnin had the gift of dying in peace. they sometimes quipped that they were the “luckiest unluckiest” person.. yes they faced tragic death.. but they also had time to prepare after living a full life, had advanced medical care, and at the end, was surrounded by family and loved ones (while full of morphine, just as they heartbreakingly joked about). “i’m not special, people die all the time and in terrible situations.” Hnin’s clarity was humbling but true..

we’ve watched the genocide in Gaza.. police still executing Black people.. and now in community with young widows, i’ve seen the many faces of death by poverty and despair. i mourn for these victims. and ache from the trauma their families must confront, knowing their losses were avoidable, and too often the callous choices of powerful sociopaths. and so like Hnin, what else can we do but fight harder and more relentlessly for a better world.

but for those of us who are “lucky” enough to prepare, Hnin also wanted others to have a chance to live their last days with some lapses of joy. for Hnin, despite their physical condition, that meant traveling with me and their mom as we basked in wonderment of our big world. these precious memories were financially enabled by the support from our family and friends, and Hnin wished to pay it forward. to honor this vision, we’re announcing the Hnin Wai Hnin Die Living Legacy Fund (dielivingfund.org) which will provide small, end of life grants to working class activists to pay for new and memorable experiences with their loved ones.

this message is a heartfelt thank you to the 200+ people who gave to this fund and have supported Hnin, me, our families and loved ones over the years. with your support, the Die Living Fund will start accepting requests on May 19, 2024 (their birthday). Hnin is love <3

aaron