Across the Street, I Found My Old Neighbors Again

Communities raise us, memories carry us

Maria, 95, photographed at her balcony. Through the simple gesture of lowering a basket on a rope to exchange food, she sparked a conversation that bridged generations, evoked memories of Mosul, and revealed how everyday kindness carries the weight of memory.

In a narrow street of a quiet seaside neighborhood, I met Maria. She is 95, lives just across fr…