It’s been wonderful to step back into my past for a bit… and somewhat jarring. The changes that have happened gradually in my old life arrive in my heart as one big shock.

I didn’t see the neighborhood kids grow up, although i watch them on facebook. But when I go back to the old place, it’s oddly empty. And in my absence, gentrification has really hit the neighborhood… only one black family left on the block. That’s a pretty stark reminder of the way the world changes.

And it’s not just the kids who have grown up. The fig tree did and my Lincoln rose. My roommate, so much younger than I… still in her thirties when I left, is now the “elder” at her gig. Hi-larious!

But still I recognize the bones and love this life deeply. And the sweet relationships that knew me when…  and helped to shape me. So happy to remember! Lucky to have had a life with sweet, sweet memories, scented by a beautiful rose! And for the moment I’ll hold that scent in my heart. Peace be with you.

Peace…