Perceptions Change in Time

Fall has always been my favorite time of year — a season of release, of letting go. As the leaves surrender to the wind, I too am learning to let go of all that no longer serves who I am becoming.

It has been a hell of a ride — filled with good times and hard lessons. In that New York state of mind, I had to take a day trip back to Brooklyn just to re-up, to reconnect with the roots that helped shape me. Looking back, there are things I would have done differently, but time changes perception. I held onto some people and promises longer than I should have, driven by loyalty and a sense of obligation to my word. Some of those promises can no longer be fulfilled — made to people who have since transitioned — and I have had to learn to forgive myself for that.

The Year of Reckoning and Renewal

When this year began, I knew it would be a milestone. Not in some new-age resolution kind of way, but in the sense that I needed to make real decisions — to see life from the other side. I had to get outside my comfort zone, break old habits, and return to the original agreements I made with myself and with others.

My trips earlier this year to Egypt and to Togo this summer brought me closer to that truth. It rooted me again. But uprooting can be uncomfortable — it unsettles everything. This cycle has been full of pain, emotional cleansing, and necessary endings. I have seen how easy it is to get stuck in cycles that do not serve us. Out of care in the most humane way, I often found myself in places I did not belong, trying to help others at the expense of myself and my loved ones. The betrayals that followed broke something in me — for a time, I lost faith in humanity.

But slowly, painfully, I have been rebuilding that faith.

The Shift Within

I have learned that superficial pleasantries can hinder growth. And while I do not yet know what my highest self looks like, I know that who I was and currently am is not completely it. I do not yet know where I am going, but I know what I will no longer be.

This fall feels like a breath of new air — like I have been given new lungs. The past feels distant, its noise fading into silence. I am learning to tell the difference between signal and noise, between those meant to walk beside me and those who were only meant to teach me for a time. Not everyone can come where I am going — and that is okay.

Walking with Love

I have caused pain in my self-preservation, and I have been misunderstood. But I have also come to see that energy is real — some people simply do not resonate. We are all energetic beings, and discernment is key. Remove anyone who does not align, no matter how much you love them.

Perceptions change with time. Recollect and requantify.

Vaughn Benjamin

What is meant for you will always be yours. Who I was and who I am now are different — and who I am becoming is still unfolding. I hear echoes of my old self sometimes, the ego-driven voice of who I used to be. But now I thank it, and move on.

I used to think life was short. Now I know it is long — long enough for transformation. The body may have an expiration date, but the life force within us is eternal, boundless, and radiant — like love itself.

Love, in Its Truest Form

Love — not the controlling or manipulative kind — but the pure energy of care that nurtures both giver and receiver. This is the love I strive to embody. Less judgment, more understanding. Less fear, more surrender.

We often impose our unmet needs onto others, creating cycles of pain and misunderstanding. My hope is that we all learn to heal individually first — before we try to build together in love, in friendship, or in business.

There is something profoundly beautiful about finding your person — the one who truly understands you. But you can only recognize them once you have done the inner work. Every heartbreak, every betrayal, every failure — it was all preparing you for that moment of recognition. Life, in all its chaos, was simply guiding you here.

Becoming Light

You are a whole, beautiful, responsible being full of love and light. Do not dim it with old patterns or illusions. If something does not serve you anymore, bow out gracefully. It is not just self-care — it is your duty to life itself.

Take the high road, always. You will thank yourself later.

I have met so many loving souls along this journey — each one shaping me in ways words cannot capture. My parents and the place of my birth gave me a foundation I will carry beyond this lifetime. I have loved and been loved deeply, and I have come to know that I am love.

A Blessing for the Season

Thank you for indulging me in the reading of this. More so, thanks to those who inspired the writing of it and who helped me to be a better person. So much gratitude for all the contributions and for adding coal to the fire to keep me going.

Save the Date

As I step into this new season of becoming, I am reminded that art — in all its forms — mirrors the evolution of the human spirit. That is why I am so looking forward to the upcoming AfriKin Art Fair, Through Creation, We Find Meaning: Scenes From Home. It is more than an event — it is a gathering of souls reclaiming identity, reimagining the future, and honoring the stories that shaped us. Just as fall teaches us to let go, AfriKin reminds us to create anew — to build from love, from truth, from purpose.