One heart is not connected to another through harmony alone. They are, instead, linked deeply through their wounds. Pain linked to pain, fragility to fragility. There is no silence without a cry of grief, no forgiveness without bloodshed, no acceptance without a passage through acute loss. That is what lies at the root of true harmony.
–Haruki Murakami, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is the original photo used to create this image. It’s of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, taken from my hotel window in December, 2017 while visiting family before Christmas. No special lighting or effects, just a snap from my smart phone.