The photos attached were taken on Easter Sunday, April 2020

Easter Sunday, day 31 of Quarantine: woke up feeling heavy and blue. The night before, I had heard from yet another friend that their loved one had succumbed to Covid 19. Added to the daily death toll being shared in the media and the social isolation from family and friends, the news of this one more death sent me to a dark place.

So, I decided to take a long walk in my neighborhood, Briarwood, Queens, to clear my head. As I walked the silence and emptiness of the streets was eerie. I was the only person left on earth -- no cars or other pedestrians rushing by as usual. Just me, my grief, my thoughts, and what I soon realized, the beauty that surrounded me. The loveliness of the tulips, blooming outside of my building. The majestic beauty of the cherry blossom trees, swaying with the wind, in front of the Queens Borough Hall. Even the unusual emptiness of traffic on the always busy Queens Blvd and Hoover Avenue was strangely beautiful.

With my heart and spirit feeling lighter, I captured the beauty of these images to remind myself that even in the midst of crisis, in the midst of darkness, there is always beauty and light to be found. We just have to stop and take a moment to discover and appreciate it.

As I headed back home, I said a prayer for all of those who have lost their lives during this pandemic, and promised myself never to forget to look for the beauty surrounding me, in my neighborhood, Briarwood, Queens, New York.