Fish evoke an early and powerful memory for me.

When I was a kid, I remember hiking with my father in the woods near our house. One day we spotted a glimmer of orange gliding through the water of the creek. I stood there in amazement watching it swim carefree among the grey minnows. My dad thought it was cool too but said, “it doesn’t belong here, it’s a goldfish”

The words didn’t make sense to me. I thought she absolutely belonged. She was beautiful and unique, and she made me feel happy and hopeful. 

That image stayed with me, and on many occasions, when I found myself in a difficult situation or felt awkward in my own body, I would think about the grace and freedom of that little goldfish and how I perceived her confidence to just keep swimming, even when she felt she may have not belonged.