He is a legend. Where do I even start? He is someone I deeply admire, and his presence is something I’ve never been able to—or wanted to—run away from. It is in my blood; it’s in my DNA.

Shortly after finishing my undergraduate degree, I started working at a bookstore. I met a co-worker there, and after we had been talking for some time, she stopped and asked if I was related to Prince. She had gone to high school with him and remembered him as such a solid, dedicated friend—the kind of person who would even help paint her room. She recognized the likeness in me immediately: the mouth, the facial features, and that shared smile.

That wasn't the first time it happened, and it won't be the last. There is an instant recognition of him in me that I simply can’t erase. I can’t run away from it.

We weren't just similar in face; we moved the same way. We were both runners. People used to say I "ran like a rabbit," a trait we both shared—that specific, energetic hop. While he took track and field seriously, some of my favoirite memories are much more informal.

I think back to being picked up from elementary school. I would try to race him home, sprinting with everything I had. Even though I was completely outmatched, I still genuinely believed I could beat him.

All of these reflections—the "rabbit hop," the bookstore smiles, and the races home—have found a home in my upcoming debut novelette, Thoughts on Grief. I am aiming for a June release, please pray for me. I am currently going through edits and locking in a book designer.

This project isn’t a full-length novel, but rather a series of essays and short prose. It discusses the time since Prince’s passing, his impact, and how it has affected different areas of my life. By sharing these stories, I’m preserving that "mythos" and keeping his legacy going.

Loss is a universal language, one that I’m sure we all, unfortunately, have to experience in one way or another. Because of that, I want this newsletter to be a shared space.

If you have a story of your own—a memory of someone you admire or a reflection on your journey—please feel free to share it. I would love to potentially include your stories in future editions of this newsletter to keep the momentum going. Feel free to share this newsletter with a friend to help us grow this community.

I want to thank each and every one of you for subscribing. Your support truly means the world to me. I’m so grateful that you would take the time to subscribe and read these words.

God bless and all my love,
Princess

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