Sometimes longing begins with something very simple. Looking at the sky, hearing a song, smelling food someone used to make for us, or having a good moment and instinctively wanting to call someone and tell them about it. And then we remember that we can’t anymore. Some people leave our lives, but their presence doesn’t simply disappear. They’re still with us in so many moments. When something important happens, when we travel somewhere we wish we could have visited with them, or when we just want to sit beside them for a few minutes and talk about our day. Sometimes I think the hardest part of losing someone isn’t just their absence. It’s all the moments that happen afterwards that we can no longer share with them. Birthdays we can no longer celebrate together, trips we take without them, achievements we wish they could have witnessed, and even ordinary days when nothing special happens. Just having them there would have been enough. Maybe that’s why, when we look at the sky, we sometimes like to imagine that the people who have left us are still somewhere up there, looking down at us. Maybe they’re watching our lives, the changes we’ve gone through, the things we’ve learned, and the paths we’ve continued to follow without them. I don’t know what really happens to people after they’re gone. But imagining that they might still be able to see us can bring comfort to some kinds of longing. Maybe each of us has someone we still have so many things left to say to. Someone we wish we could see again, even for just a few minutes. Maybe we wouldn’t even know where to begin. Maybe we’d simply look at them, hold their hand, and enjoy having them there. Life goes on. People grow older, places change, and new things happen. But some absences are never completely filled. Maybe love takes a different form after someone leaves. We can no longer reach them, but they’re still present in our decisions, our memories, and even in parts of who we’ve become. And perhaps every time we look at the sky, for a brief moment, we want to believe that they’re looking back at us, too. ⸻ About the Artwork & Creation Process The original photograph of the sky was taken by Nastaran Najafi in the area where she lives. The figures were painted by Nastaran Taghdimi using the Japanese Sumi-e painting technique. The overall composition was created by Nastaran Najafi, and the GIF animation was generated with AI. Artists: Nastaran Najafi & Nastaran Taghdimi Photography: Nastaran Najafi Painting: Nastaran Taghdimi — Sumi-e technique Composition: Nastaran Najafi GIF Animation: AI-generated Format: GIF Orientation: Horizontal