two months ago today we honored the legend that was - that is - my father. here are a few photos from that day. tomorrow it’ll be 3 months since he passed. as much as i want to be in my bubble with all of this, life moves. i’m doing a great impression of a normal person as i traverse responsibilities, laugh, dip in and out of group chats. i’ve noticed the smile wipes from my face faster, energy’s a little lower, and i suspect i look a bit older. nonetheless it astounds me how much i can manage. thank god for my mighty brain, my nerdy devotion to creativity, and the way the machete comes out when needed to protect and clear... the waves come quick and at inconvenient times. yesterday it was while playing a glockenspiel at a friend’s i suddenly remembered my dad gave me. but my sun grew out of it and i gave it to this friend. a rush of memory. the wave. i hide my face with my braids. and just like that the wave is gone. if i cry on stage tomorrow like i did at the end of my watts gig, offer me a smile and some grace. it’s usually quick (albeit a little embarrassing). my siblings and i produced the most crazy special homegoing. i obsessively poured my energy into the planning while being introduced to new levels of shock and grief. in a way it was a homegoing for me too as i collapsed into the embrace of my mighty lineage. i mean, look at the community my father helped seed. these roots run deep. and if you ain’t know you better ask somebody. anyway i’m rambling. the last few days of spring i’d said to a friend “i keep feeling like everything will change in summer. i wonder what’s gonna happen?”. i had no idea the gravity of what i was tuning into. whew! thank you summer for the ways you initiated me into deeper clarity and invited me to grow. happy fall equinox y’all #reggieandrews #niainbloom