No.2 Summer

Summer is a time of connection with loved ones as well as the earth. Songbirds trilling at daybreak, mourning doves cooing serenely as the day winds down, and a symphony of crickets and frogs as fireflies dot the dusk air like glitter—these sounds have grounded me in the heart of summer for as long as I can remember.

When I was a kid, these sounds were the backdrop for adventurous times spent at my grandparents’ home “up north” in East Jordan, Michigan. I spent many summer weeks exploring their vast property with my big sister, while cicadas and the heat seared the air. We’d spend mornings hunting for Petoskey stones while we stuffed ourselves with wild raspberries, warm from the sun’s relentless rays. In the late afternoon, I would help my Japanese grandmother pick dark green spinach leaves from her garden, which she’d dress simply with soy sauce and MSG for dinner that evening. Unbeknownst to me at the time, a deep appreciation for growing, eating, and sharing fresh summer food was beginning to take root.