Dear boys,

We had planned to visit The Little Island, finally, but hadn’t planned on discovering the massive stretch of graffiti directly across the street. Yea, Little Island was cool and all, but what is THAT over there? Getting ourselves across the westside highway felt like a game of Crossy Road, but once there we realized, with no through traffic, we could run around, watch the pigeons’ captivating flight pattern above us, and be spontaneous. Play fighting and cosplay in full effect.

More graffiti has been popping up in the city lately during the pandemic — on subways, storefronts and vacant buildings — but this was the hugest strip I’ve seen in Manhattan. In the right setting, in this case behind what was the old Meatpacking District, it makes a bold, colorful backdrop. Finding beauty in a broken world. That’s what we’re trying to do these days as New York City recovers, and in many ways, remains in a downturn. Taking notice of the changing fall colors, the cobblestone sidewalks or the stoop with a colorful array of mums. The hot pink skies of a sunrise, the jazz quartet playing on the sidewalk near your school, and anything and everything about Central Park. Despite all the ugliness around us these days, and there is a noticeable amount, we’ve been grasping hold of what is eye-catching and beautiful, even if fleeting, and especially if spontaneous.

I love you boys.

Always and forever, Mom