Some people pick up the crochet hook from where their family left it last and resume the tapestry. Being the eldest daughter of my family, I had to begin my own.

It was a split decision. Or was it? Was it an impulse that caught my attention? No, it was an avalanche.

Even now, with time stretching out before me, the sight of those brown butterflies sends shivers down my spine, an ever-present reminder of the fragility of existence.

My parents, mentors, teachers, and friends would only teach Jewish law and history so it was all I ever knew.