We walk up the stairs to my fourth story apartment in the East Village. Late summer, I’m here for a few months. Always wanted to live in NYC, a little change in my pocket, experience what the fuss was about.
Floor below mine, she sees something, yelps with excitement, and bolts past. My neighbor has a multi-colored pinwheel above his doorbell. She stops in front, pauses, and breathes into it. The pinwheel spins, sparkles of color.
She blows on it again. Spin spin spin.
I must have passed that pinwheel a hundred times. Never once did my brain register that I should make it move. And the way it would sprinkle light around the narrow stairwell, making the moment come alive.
For the rest of the summer, whenever I pass it, I stop and breathe into the pinwheel, watch it spin, and I smile. I discovered this simple joy because she was there.
One fall evening, a friend takes me to the highline in the meatpacking district. We walk along the old train tracks.
“Stop,” she says, removing her sandles, then asks me to take off my boots and socks.
We stand and watch the sun slide over the Hudson and dip behind New Jersey. The buildings in New York City come alive, light by light. Grass tickles our bare feet.
When I visit my mother, I love how she sits in her kitchen and watches hummingbirds hover above her feeder. The gentle way she describes her lemon tree. The smells, the juiciness. The color.
The way that women move through the world, experiencing the sensuality of it all. Such magic.
Beauty is different in everyone’s eyes and the best part is when we share our perspective with others. Thanks Kamal, this brought a smile to my face and momentarily took me back to summer, sun and the feel of grass beneath my feet…
Such a lovely and sensitive view of women. You find beauty everywhere, Kamal. That’s what make you so beautiful.
Thank you, Jackie. That made me smile.
Men make me stare, hard. How do they do that?! I watch my Dad create a potato chip thin bowl out of wood – how did he do that? I watch my brother measure and cut and build my studio – how does he know how to do that? How did he learn how to build a building, ordered step by ordered step? I watch a basketball player dribble and run and plan strategy all at the same time (I could only ever do one at a time!) – how did he learn that? And look at the graceful way they do their thing, not knowing how graceful they are. Men are amazing creatures, put here to love us and drive us up the nearest wall!!! Thank god!
The earth plane is the most physical. Such a blessing to be able to revel in the senses. It’s the little things that delight.
Kamal – Beautiful portray of women. It also made me revisit to a Canvas painting that my dad bought in Delhi. The saying was “Learn to pause or nothing worthwhile will catch up with you”. Seems like you paused and enjoyed the moment.
Love…Never read a blog before, this is my first. Ever think of that breath that touches the pinwheel, the life it creates, the places it goes and it has been? I was reading Maura “Soshin” O’Halloran “Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind” and she wonders where the separation is, is the air we breathe in part of us or is it separate? What about when it comes out, our breath, is it us or not us? Made me think of that…thanks
I get it
Why I love being a woman, reason #1,894,378
Delicately written…..so much of tenderness. Looks like you’ve had some beautiful women nurture you,whilst growing up , one example is your mum
Oh i love being a woman ! 🙂
This is one of the most beautiful depictions of happiness I’ve ever read. Thank you.
🙂 🙂