Patina

Browsing through Interior Design references, my eye stood still at a word.

It had always caught my attention, but this time it spoke to me because of its description.

Patina -the worn quality that reveals an object untold story.

This is why I write, driven by the certitude that although the way we feel differs from person to person, what we do with it comes close. When we write, we help, when we read or listen, we heal. This is a big part of my Patina.

And as I will soon approach a birthday milestone, my Patina is revealing. Undoubtedly, time has been my great revealer, awareness my compass.

In Interior Design, Patina brings friction but it also creates defining contrast, dimension, uniqueness, worth.

In life, experience has been the alchemy of my Patina. Its friction has sprung forth grip, wisdom, reverence, respect.

And a love of life and self that challenges the ego and transcends the mundane.

People, situations, hard earned gains or sudden losses that I thought made or broke me, were my relentless carving catalysts. Agents that mirrored my fears and taught me to honor my strength and sensibility.

Whatever the result to my endless life searches –  I jumped gracefully on most of them only to sink or pretend to swim floating along temporarily – God put a rainbow in my clouds. And this is what I focus on now, a different search, a discovery, still fast forward but intentionally inward.

Call it mileage. Driver’s seat. Master of my road.

The inner voice is the softest of whispers, until it roars so loud that it withstand the test of time.

Every step that tumbled me, loss that shamed me, feedback that crushed me, heartbreak that tore me, condition that frightened me, wait that sentenced me and the many painful pebbles that followed, chiseled my crystalized marble and revealed my Patina of golden-bronze artisanal hues and ethereal morning light.

Exquisite Vintage.

Good interior designers master the balance between Patina and Polish. So should we.

And we all know that seasons – and time – bring different forms of life into the world around us. So does burnishing.

Nourish the intellect, honor class, sparkle. Patina loves a posh polish.

Every encounter that is real, music that uplifts, textures that thread, flavors that enrich, fragrances that linger, art that transcends, words that heal, new hellos, last goodbyes, humble souls, generous mentors, love surprises, lifetime friends, forever family members, the legacy of my beloved parents.

These are the agents of my polish, amplified by the many exponential ways in which I want to give back the best of me to all of it.

Coincidentally, Patina is also a novel by Jason Reynolds. A story that delves into the life of Patina, a talented young runner.  As she navigates the ups and downs of her life, Patina learns the meaning of perseverance, friendship, and never giving up.

Patina never gives up.

It’s the worn quality that reveals your untold story – brave, unapologetic, everlasting, yours.