I woke up this morning and all I could think of was this place.
It’s so strange to know with all your heart when you belong somewhere.
I found my place when I was 17 and I’m still dreaming of it even now. Going back to Bapatla this summer with Mom was a true dream come true and I am so glad I have memories like these to always go back to.
One late afternoon, Johnson and I went to get fish. This is what we found.
These are the faces I’ll never forget and the place I know I belong.
I found these images this weekend tucked away in a folder. Early August in India was pretty great.
On this day, so many months ago now, TT, Jess, and I made the short boat ride out to Elephanta Island from Mumbai. What I remember most from this place is the color. Everything seemed to glow.
Today in Chapel Hill, I’m wearing fur and its winter, but its just as bright and sparkly as it was in India on this day.
My Mom is a rockstar. She not only spent part of the summer with me in India, but she also looks stunning in a sari. The other night, I wore a sari and it had been a long time. As always, remembering exactly how it works was a challenge, but thankfully I had help.
While visiting Bapatla this past summer, I brought out the sari Niti gave me in Kathmandu. The girls had a field day playing dress-up with Mom and got on my case for not having nicer clothes. They kept wanting to brush out Mom’s hair (and against her better judgment, she let them) and paint on a lot of makeup. The outfit wasn’t complete without fresh jasmine in her hair and a handful of bright blue bangles around her wrists.
When they were finished with her, they couldn’t stop saying how lovely and Indian she looked. And I agree. My Mom can rock a sari.
Planning for the future and getting more stuck in the past in the process. . .
“Monsters exist, but they are too few in numbers to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are…the functionaries ready to believe and act without asking questions.” – Primo Levi
Today will be like a lot of other days around here, but I’m not too scared of it. . . yet.
[Photo: Foggy day at Jama Masjid in Delhi, India//Grace Farson]
[Photos: Family love in Shenandoah National Park// Grace Farson]
GRACE FARSON 