This piece intertwines ocean memories, reflections on the past, and gratitude for the present. Growing up in a seafaring family, I keenly felt my grandfather’s absence when he was at sea. When he passed away, my mother told me, “When we die, we become stardust.” Now, the ocean, especially under the afternoon sun, brings that to mind.
Every atom of oxygen in our lungs, carbon in our muscles, calcium in our bones, and iron in our blood originated within a star before Earth’s birth. Hydrogen and helium, the lightest elements, were forged in the Big Bang, while heavier elements were created within stars.
This photography connects to my grandfather’s journeys, symbolizing life’s cycles—waves rising, the sun setting, and stars guiding us through the darkness.
