under the willow tree
what soothed, enlightened and moved me this Summer ~
Dear friend,
This morning’s cool rain broke the endless string of hot, sunny September days. The summer stretched longer than I’ve ever experience in Chicago, with an abundance of perfect days. One of those perfect days was Labor Day which I spent under the regal willow tree pictured above, feeling the embrace of the memories held by this tree that’s been the site of many pivotal moments during my (nearly) six years in the city.
This summer has been full of what I’ve been calling “random and lovely” things— unexpected moments of delight; encounters teeming with connection and resonance.
Yesterday, I returned from a small town a few hours outside of Chicago where I had the opportunity to be a guest curator for a new art exhibition. A few weeks earlier, I facilitated a convening of racial healing facilitators from across the country who co-created a vision of beloved community together. Around that same time, I receive an email from
that actually made my jaw drop, announcing I’d be a 2025-2026 Fellow for her “portable creativity school,” In Surreal Life (you can still register here through Tuesday for the October session). I published one of my favorite of art writing pieces about an exhibition created by friends and friends-of-friends, and ruminated on the role of third spaces in creating vibrant communities.
These last few months I witnessed an abundance of Palestinian joy at a friend’s wedding, learned the incomparable flavor of freshly harvested carrots, and hosted folks from all corners of the country in this city that feels more and more like home each day. Below is a quilt of all the strange and enchanting things that have been shaping me this month. Big gratitude to all of you lovely humans—every kind word, thought, and action inspires me to keep taking risks as I continue becoming my freest self.
