The Woman in White

By: Gabriela Yareliz

There was a woman on the train holding her toddler. She was sitting in a double seat bench, wearing all white and a white hat. She had long dark braids with metal hoops braided into her hair.

She was incredibly polished, and at the same time, simple. It was already 8pm, but she still looked pristine. It caught my eye because you often don’t see many people brave enough to wear all white on these disgusting trains, much less sit on the seat bench, which is often covered in jellies, old gum, pen scribbles, droplets of spilled coffee and God knows what other substances.

I still remember details of how this woman looked. As someone who often looks as tired as I am, it was a reminder that we make the time to take care of ourselves. And intentionality can be quite memorable.

How can you take care of yourself today? How can you cultivate beauty today?