Suzanne Rose

Moments of Being

This series examines beauty through the soft lens of memory found in everyday moments. These images contemplate the themes of love, longing, grief, and the innate desire to be truly seen. In the wake of leaving behind a beloved home and a marriage — both built on well-laid plans — I turned to Elizabeth Bishop’s poem,
One Art, as a guide through loss, seeking to redefine where a woman’s true value resides.

This body of work reflects the beauty found within the walls of a home I cherished for nearly three decades —
a place that I loved as much as its occupants.

Through this transition, one truth has become strikingly clear: beauty, particularly in the eyes of the beholder, is never solely housed in the exterior. Instead, a woman’s worth is the sum of her inner strength and the depth of her lived experiences. As Bishop’s poem reminds us, “the art of losing isn’t hard to master”— my youth, like the brick and mortar, is gone. As is he. Yet what endures are the memories — but it is the in-between moments of stillness, where I was simply myself: authentic, uninterrupted, and whole.

In the aftermath of loss and upheaval, it becomes essential that these private moments are preserved and stand resistant to the overriding echoes of the past storm. For it is within these recollections are everyday acts – in their simplicity and repetition – beyond the male gaze – are luxuries savored. And in the end, these moments, woven together, stand as undeniable evidence of a life lived with grace and intent

It has been said, in difficult times carry something beautiful in your heart.
For beauty serves as the ultimate antidote.