“Track your people through the wilderness of grief until you find their campsite, or make one of your own. … We find each other by becoming findable.” Megan Devine writes these words on grief in her book It’s OK That You’re Not OK. As a pediatric cancer survivor who found a lifeline in the company of fellow survivors, I know all too well that “grief” can be substituted by any number of hardships, and Devine’s words will still ring true.
My name is Hector, and The Secular Survivor is my attempt at making my own campsite: A space where cancer, disability, and other hardships can be unpacked, examined, and shared in an environment free from religion. It is not meant to be an nonbeliever’s soapbox, but simply a space where stories can be shared without the religious language that often accompanies hardship.
Whether you are a firm nonbeliever like myself, or simply a believer seeking a temporary escape from the complex feelings that can arise when juggling your beliefs with your story, you are welcome here. Gather around, read my words, and share your own.