Ever since I was first introduced to the ocean as a child, I’ve loved the forceful push and pull of its tide. The momentum behind a crushing wave delivering me to the shore. The satisfaction of my boogie-board effortlessly gliding into a small child, while his Italian-American mother scolds me for not watching out.

The swell of the ocean, the push-and-pull that I mentioned, is a constant metaphor I use to help me understand my life and my season.