2023
Sitting on the porch swing, I listen to the waves crash upon the shore. Their sudden but predictable entrance into my consciousness is calming despite the jarring nature of this big body of water.
Water takes just as much as it gives, but I also take - comfort in the memories spend years ago on this same shore, joy in the many days since them. Today I found the first strand of silver in my hair, an oddity considering I feel no older than thirteen.
This place holds so much for me, cradling my past like a delicate child in its hands. For it was on this same porch that my life was forever changed. I feel a silent tear slip down my cheek in solitude, as memories wash over my fragile and aging body.
A soft and familiar arm slips around my shoulders, reminding me that even, after all of this, I am still alive and safe in the touch of the people I love most.
"Remembering?" She asks, pulling me closer to her.
"Yes," I reply, "Remembering."