While getting my hair done today, an older man walked in and sat across from me. “It’s been two years since my last haircut- right before the world shut down.” He fluffed his salt and pepper hair, laughed, and looked at his stylist. “Who would’ve known… I have curly hair! I’ve shaved it for the last 40 years. Let’s clean it up but keep some of the curls. Turns out, I love them.”

I wonder how many parts of ourselves we’d naturally discover with enough time away from our usual routine. Parts that require breathing room and space to germinate and sprout. A latent love for writing, adventuring, making art, salsa dancing, building things from scratch. I hope we patiently give ourselves adequate time to grow out of our old selves. Again and again. Keeping the parts we want because we love them and they naturally reflect who we truly are.