wave.

so i have this thing for airports {i sure have been in my fair share lately}. i love them. i know i know what you're thinking... even with how difficult it is to get through security lines these days? 

but i'll tell you what, it's part of the experience. i tend to focus on the people watching. the acts of love. the reuniting and the parting of ways. we all have a story... a connection to another... and airports bring out our most vulnerable selves in those moments of hello and goodbye.

i bet this reminds you of a popular quote in one of the best romantic comedies of all time, love actually.

i had a unique experience at jfk this past weekend. my flight happened to be departing within ten minutes of one to india. and oh boy the lines! this plane must have been huge! at first i was annoyed with the amount of people blocking the security line entrance. get a move on! but the longer i observed why they were hovering, the more i realized the heartwarming event that was happening amongst these families.

clearly, loved ones were departing for india and relatives remained behind to send them off. i mean, who does that anymore? my mind immediately went to... they parked? is this taking up their entire day? how much money are they wasting? but see, i realized in that moment that it doesn't matter. i am not exaggerating when i say that every five seconds what looked like a set of older parents turned to wave to their grown-up kids. wave, pause, wave. over and over again. wheel luggage forward, wave. check id, wave. oh just one more wave goodbye...

and, the man in front of me abandoned his luggage to go back and get one last wave goodbye to what looked like his wife and kids. i learned a great lesson here. time is precious. treat the ones you love with the utmost level of respectful love you can possibly give. because, they deserve it. and you just never know when you will see them next.

in light of a horrific tragedy that recently happened in my hometown in which one of my best childhood friends lost both of her parents, this was a timely lesson. say what you need to say, always. tell the ones you love that you love them over and over again. and show it, too, with one more wave.

*quotes, my instagram sitting outside the san airport, hand to hand.