When I was a little girl, my mother and I would sit together and draw designs. They would always begin with a central point and build outward, symmetrically.  It was a quiet activity, ancestral and sacred to us. Her father had owned a carpet cleaning business and our home was rich in restitched oriental carpets. She would reference these but seldom copy them. Sometimes she would talk about visiting her grandmother in Syria or growing up in our family home.

Drawing these designs gave me a relief from the anxiety and concerns of my youth. It also introduced me to hyperfocus, the saving grace of ADHD. When I draw them now, I feel loved and content.