[Brooklyn, New York] My parents never instilled in me the notion of being charmed by a sight that simply was. Love wasn't as simple as stumbling upon colors that took ones breath away. Heartbreak wasn't a silent wave goodbye to a favorite cloud that was fading. Love was a healthily joyous family picture that could be distributed. Heartbreak just an embarrassment that needed to be explained away. When soft currents swooshing against a sprinkling of rocks slow my brain and warm my heart, I'm reminded that I'm not them. I've got a fluttering of emotions buried between my heart and stomach that I can't explain and hesitate to explore. Maybe its there because I'm an artists granddaughter or a gentle romantic's almost daughter. Maybe it'll stay there because every time I feel my heart's brushstroke paint too broadly, I rein it all in. For now, I'll keep running back to see the colors I've found and loved on my own. There are things that we don't need to be taught to love. We find them and we just keep going back for more. I'm grateful for at least that much.