Winnie Byanyima wasn’t afforded the blissful ignorance of a normal youth. As a young girl in the ’60s, she watched as Uganda was cast into a cycle of violence by then-Prime Minister Apollo Milton Obote and military general Idi Amin. For more than two decades, the dictators smothered their opposition with brute force and oversaw an era in which hundreds of thousands are believed to have been killed. Byanyima can still recall those persecuted by the government showing up at her front door, seeking help from her politician father and transforming her home into a salon of dissent. Out of a sense of moral and civic duty, he would take on their cases—a woman dispossessed of her land by the military, a man fired from his job because he didn’t support the ruling party—and argue for their rights in court.
“I don’t really know when I ‘woke up’ [to the idea of] social justice,” she says, tilting her chin to the ceiling, as if searching for that one event that flourished into the call for personal revolution. “I grew up with it.”
Since then, Byanyima has certainly followed in her father’s activist footsteps. As executive director of Oxfam International, she oversees social justice projects in more than 90 countries and is the first African to run a global civil society group. She acts as the face of the organization at monumental conferences like last year’s COP21 climate talks in Paris and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Her role at these conventions is an arduous but spirited one. Somewhere between the bureaucracy of politicians and the money of big business, Byanyima must wedge her way into dialogues to make a case for the common citizen. That means trying to influence global treaties to come out a little more in favor of the millions of people back home who will be affected by them, though she concedes that often unearths more struggle than success.
At the 2015 Financing for Development conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where we spoke in an empty hotel hallway, she fought for global tax reforms that would ensure big corporations give more of their wealth back to the communities in which they operate. According to Byanyima, when Oxfam and other groups requested that the U.N. host a concurrent summit to discuss the issue, rich countries—the ones that stood to lose from the proposed changes—successfully pushed them to drop the proposal.
“Civil society sometimes has an uphill battle against governments’ determination to put short-term interests ahead of their citizens’ well-being,” she says. “But that’s part of our job.”
Globally, the relationship between the private sector and government is inflexible. Money and power have been making decisions hand-in-hand since time immortal.
But Byanyima’s idealism remains steadfast even in the face of that status quo, and her fighting spirit hasn’t changed since the tough youth that shaped it—fleeing her country at 17, seeking asylum in the U.K. while earning an engineering degree and working with Ugandan human rights groups, and returning home in the ’80s to help current Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni oust Obote from seizing a second attempt at rule.
“I grew up knowing that there was injustice, but you don’t have to accept it,” she says, her words seemingly as much a consolation for the dissidents of her past as an explanation of what motivates her in the present. “You can say no and you can oppose it, and it is risky. It can cost your life, but it is still a life well spent.”
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Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.