My favorite ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree each year…

Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, the rest of us have to hustle, and there ain’t no shame in that. I had my first paycb heck job at twelve bussing tables in a restaurant owned by family friends. I was already six feet tall and I don’t think the restaurant owners knew how “young” I was. As an adult, I have seen amazing hustle first-hand, living in New York City for over two decades. But witnessing hustle in Oaxaca, well, here it is next level.

My beloved Aunt Roxie passed away in January. She was my mom’s sister, one of six girls of 13 siblings. She was my “second mom” in the family; I spent every school break with her and my Uncle Preston starting when I was four years old. Yet I realized as I reflected on her significance in my life, I don’t know that a single photograph exists of just the two of us together.

I’ve heard it said that two of life’s most difficult experiences are moving and childbirth. Having experienced both myself, I do believe this could be true. I have moved many, many times- though only given birth once- and just this year I moved across country. I also helped two friends pack their homes and families for major moves, and I just watched one of my favorite holiday movies Millions, in which moving from old to new home is a major plot point. The trajectory of 2021 for my family will involve at least two more moves, maybe three. So moving has been on my mind lately, as you might imagine. There are things I want to do differently and better next time.

I’ve been thinking recently about A Day in the Life- do you know those photojournalism books from the mid 1990’s? I loved them. I loved the idea of lots of humans in lots of places recording lots of days and the possibilities they hold: the largest and smallest pieces, the mundane and amazing, and all the sorrow and sweetness in between. So many journeys. On any given day, what would your Day in the Life page look like?