You might feel all alone in your despair and grief, but you are not alone. Support is available right here. We are glad you found us.

Did you know that roughly 30,000 people per year in the U.S. alone unintentionally kill someone? Until now, too many have suffered alone, because they did not know how to find help or because they felt undeserving of support. But that is changing. The Hyacinth Fellowship brings together those of us who have unintentionally killed or seriously injured others so that we can learn from and support each other on our journey to peace.

An ancient Greek myth tells us that the God Apollo, while playing sports, threw his discus across the field and accidentally hit his close friend Hyacinthus in the head. Despite his many powers, Apollo could not save Hyacinthus’s life. All he could do was hold him while he died. To honor Hyacinthus and to express his own remorse and sorrow, Apollo created a beautiful flower. We appreciate the beauty of the hyacinth even today.

Like Apollo, we grieve for those we unintentionally harmed. We cannot magically create a new flower. We can, however, follow Apollo’s example and find ways to honor our victims and express our own grief by making the world a better, more beautiful, and more caring place. In this we find our healing and peace. That’s why the hyacinth is our symbol.