Tarnished Living

05/10/2026

05/09/2026

Maybe your mother was the perfect mother.

Maybe she carried you

bled for you

sang to you

smiled at you

nurtured you and marveled in you.

Maybe she understood your essence

and was patient and let you unfold

in your own time and in your own way

honoring the heart of you all the while.

Maybe your mother cared for you;

Maybe she was there for you

long past childhood days.

Maybe your mother worked for you

cooked for you

sewed for you.

Maybe your mother listened to you

held space for you

Maybe your mother laughed with you

played with you

stayed with you through all your years.

Maybe your mother protected you,

But

Maybe she neglected you

rejected you.

Maybe she abandoned you

hard-handed you

betrayed you

flayed you.

Maybe your mother couldn’t mother.

Maybe your mother forgot you

lost interest

grew cold.

Maybe she never really loved you.

Maybe you were just her duty

for a little while.

Maybe your mother did the best she could

with what she had.

Maybe she was sick or sad.

Maybe her mother was bitter or bad

and hurt her in her deepest parts.

Now

Maybe you are a mother.

Maybe you are a perfect mother.

Maybe you pour abundant love into

your daughters, your sons.

Maybe you delight in them.

Maybe you struggle

Maybe you feel exhausted

resentful

lost and unseen.

Maybe you feel nothing.

Maybe you are just surviving.

Maybe you are not a mother

but long to be a mother

Maybe you mother others.

Maybe you don’t want to be a mother;

will never be a mother

Yet

We all need a mother

Yes, we do

And maybe there is a perfect mother

just for you.

She is the mother of your mother

and your mother’s mother

and back as far as the eye can see

or mind can know

or soul can feel

to the first mother.

Lie on the grass and feel Her heart.

You were formed of Her earth.

You come from Her waters.

Her winds kiss your cheek eternally.

Her rains cry with you when you cry

and wash your wounds.

She will heal you

nourish you

wait for you.

She will give you beauty

give you joy

give you new life

again and again.

She will always be there

to enfold you in Her embrace

when at last you return —

Maybe you have the perfect mother . . .

Rebekah Myers, A Perfect Mother

Art: Nicole Revy, “Mothers & Daughters”
on Instagram

05/05/2026

Did anyone else watch the Met Gala 'red carpet' yesterday? You may have noticed the current trend of the "naked dress," but did you know this trend actually goes all the way back to Napoleonic France?

In the 1780-90s, after the end of the Great Terror, French aristocratic women embraced a "neoclassical" look, devesting themselves of their corsets and cumbersome gowns. In these new style of more simple muslin gowns that clung more to their forms, women's bodies were more shown off in a more natural state than they had been previously. 18th century French aristocratic women then took this a step further, having their gowns made of semi-sheer fabrics, sometimes worn over flesh-colored "bodystockings" or even wetted to make them even sheerer and more clingy. Napoleon himself disliked this trend so much, he would make sure parties were held in very cold spaces, so as to make these women regret their choice of attire.

04/22/2026

Her face holds steady, calm and direct, a quiet presence from another century. Every detail points to the late 1850s into the early 1860s. The center-parted hair pulled tightly into side buns, the wide scalloped collar, and the simple striped bodice all match everyday fashion from that time. Even the soft tones of the photograph suggest an early albumen print, placing her right at the moment photography was becoming more accessible.

She remains unknown, but her expression feels familiar. I took her original image, restored and colorized it, then created new angles to bring her closer to how she may have looked in real life. A small step toward bridging that distance in time.

04/20/2026

04/16/2026

At Andrew Jackson’s 1845 funeral, Reverend William Menefee Norment later recalled that the president’s pet parrot had to be taken out of the service after loudly swearing. The bird was said to have learned its language from Jackson himself, who was well known for his fiery temper.

04/15/2026

Frank Sinatra, captured here in a 1938 mugshot at the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, long before the fame, the records, and the legend took shape. He was just 23 years old, still chasing his break, performing wherever he could and trying to carve out a future in music.

This arrest came from a charge labeled “seduction,” tied to a relationship with a married woman. The case was later dropped, but this image remains a rare look into a moment most people never associate with him. There’s something striking in his expression. Calm, steady, almost unbothered. You can already see a hint of the confidence that would later define him.

I took his original mugshot, carefully colorized it, and created new angles to get a real feel for how he looked that day. Bringing depth and perspective to a flat image like this gives a stronger sense of presence, like you’re standing right in front of him in that room.

Not long after this moment, everything changed. His voice took him from small venues to global stages, and he became one of the most influential entertainers of all time. This photo captures him right before that rise. A young man on the edge of becoming Frank Sinatra.

04/12/2026

Tiger Woods’ caddie, Mike “Fluff” Cowan, checking the wind with his cigarette during the 1997 Masters.