SEPTEMBER

A few hours ago, the piece I had written vanished while I was editing a photo.

I took a deep breath and sat down to rewrite.

You know how September means harvest and autumn?

I wanted to look back at my summer and talk through my photographs.

This summer, shaped by the restrictions of the pandemic, was filled with simple joys—stealing moments by the sea at a few familiar beaches, hopping between houses and gardens, playing host and guest.

We dined outdoors, socializing within the newly learned boundaries of "social distance."

But beyond all of that, my days were filled with joy, peace, abundance, and creativity.

I spent more time in the kitchen than ever before, learning the art of preserving seasonal harvests for winter.

The fresh vegetables and fruits, picked right from their branches, felt like medicine for my body.

Eggplants and tomatoes—still carrying the scent of their vines—became the stars of our shared meals with friends.

Some moments were captured in photographs, but others were simply tucked into memory.

And that’s okay. They are all written in the pages of my heart.

A heart filled with laughter, peace, sorrow, hope, fear, excitement, curiosity, anger, and passion.

I place the joyful ones in the most decorated corners of my memory book.

The painful ones?

I wrap them gently in silk, allowing them to cool down.

(Though, I’ll admit—not all wounds cool as easily as I’d like.)

Once they settle, I work on softening their edges, healing them.

For the last 2-3 months, the word I have spoken the most is healing.

Healing the body.Healing the soul.

Healing the past.

Healing the present.

Healing through all timelines.

Some wounds form a scab too soon, before they’ve fully healed inside.

And when that happens, sometimes the scab needs to be peeled off—sometimes the bone needs to be broken again, so it can heal correctly.

It’s not easy. It hurts.

But pain is an emotion, too.

Everything in life exists with its opposite.

That’s why I stay away from those who only promise happiness.

Because all emotions are meant to be felt.

Laughter is beautiful.

But sometimes, crying is necessary too—to release, to cleanse, to heal.

And so, I choose to embrace whichever emotion is the healer of the moment.