Life is a merry-go-round. I saw this small golden charm at a shop in Berlin. I was struck with a muteness, a numbness, by its character. It’s almost as if for just a moment I was taken someplace else. I splurged and bought it. When I look at it or wear it I’m taken back to that same place.

My daughter moved to Philadelphia when she was about 20. She was an artist and loved the city. She talked about starting an art collective. She talked about the markets and the flourishing community. She saw Philadelphia as a city of dreams. Two years later she passed away.

My grandson lives in the city now. He is an artist, designer, maker of all things. He talks about the markets, the historical community, the vibrancy of the residents. In some ways I thing he is completing the things that she started.