Print - Watermelon Birthday - 22.5 x 30

SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION PRINT

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It is my birthday. I have lived 36 autumns and winters, all sweetened by the most beautiful watermelon sugar that keeps me alive. 

When I was growing up, my father would buy me a watermelon each year on my birthday. He would hide it, so I could go look for my surprise. The gift was always the same, yet always just as sweet. Then my mother would take a blanket and lay it on the grass. All four of us, barefoot, would follow her and huddle together for a big surprise. My father had a ritual that was crafted and perfected by the most loving heart. He would always say, “Children, listen, I’m going to knock on the watermelon. If the sound is hollow, the sweetness is great. And if the sound is heavy and dull, perhaps the watermelon is not ready." And of course it never failed! The hollow sound of sweetness would echo through the night, as he watched for our big smiles and beaming eyes. Then he would look at our mother, as if he had just won a great prize awarded to only those that need you more than the sky needs the moon. And then, he would take his knife and cut a triangle right at the center of the watermelon. I can still hear the crisp sound of watermelon as the knife went through. The first triangle always went to me, because it was my birthday. And there we were, huddled like pigeons in the night, nibbling on the moon-shaped slices of watermelon, consuming the sweetness that would last for a lifetime. 

I believe that we store memories, love and affection in each other. We do this to ensure that those closest to our heart are forever nurtured long after we are gone. It is the memories of watermelon birthdays that keep me alive. They keep me warm when I’m cold. Embraced when I am afraid. And loved when there is no love in sight. 

My father stored watermelon sweetness into my heart, which continues to help me thrive long after he’s been gone. Each day that I sat in my chemo chair, I looked above my shoulder and I imagined watermelon sugar dripping through my veins. Each day I am grateful for the life and all the sweetness he gave me to keep me here, alive.

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A limited edition of eight signed and dated, 22.5 in. x 30 in. prints
are available for purchase.

Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle German Etching

The paper is acid-free, 100% alpha cellulose and weighs 310 gsm