Healing works in strange ways.

On weekends my dad likes to tend to his garden. He always seems to enjoy taking care of his cacti and flowers and lemon tree. He invites me to help but I’m often too busy or not in the mood.

My dad and I don’t have many conversations on any given day. Even more rare are times we make eye contact.

When I originally asked my dad if he would be willing to be photographed for the zine, he was sitting shirtless on the living room couch watching TV. The request confused him. It confused me too.

But taking photos of him let me look him in the eyes for the first time in a long time. I saw him through the camera’s viewfinder. He held still long enough for me to get a good look at them. Brown.

When it was over, he went over to his garden and checked on it. I sat on a lawn chair watching him work.

Healing works in strange ways.