'Let me be to my sad self hereafter kind'

Let me be to my sad self hereafter kind.
When she needs to cry, let her;
there's no shame in weeping for all she has lost.
When she needs to be alone, make her a comfortable
nest and let her hibernate in it.
Play her soft music or let her hear the peace in silence.
Protect her from harsh voices and cold wake-up calls.
Give her the strength to say no, again and again
and nudge her occasionally, when she's ready, to say yes.
Let her stare at photographs and write endless words of love
and pain if this is what she needs to do.
Take her for walks in the places he loved
and let her feel the sun on her skin,
the wind in her hair,
the cool caress of water.
And, when she feels she can't go on,
remind her to reach out to people who love her and say:
'this is too much for me to bear alone.'