Captured…

When I was dying cocoons with oak gall and walnut ink, tea bags and coffee grounds, I looked at all of the stained teabags and felt reluctant to toss them. This happens when I am captured by a material. At first I am not even sure what it is that draws me to it. Locked in at home all spring and beyond because of New York’s shelter at home orders, I knew I was fortunate. We were financially secure, had access to outside space and could work from home. I thought about the myriad lived stories across the world during this global pandemic. Each family with its own set of experiences. Children returning home, grandparents moved in for the duration – or worse, prohibited from contact with loved ones. Essential and health care workers on the front lines risking their own lives for others. I wondered what I would remember and hold onto from these long and difficult months.