Life begins. It took hours for the emu chick to make it this far into the world. I watched as it rocked, pecked, stretched, then rested. Again and again. I listened to its delicate whistling and felt the warmth of the incubator.

People ask, how do I have the patience to wait for a moment like this?

I tell them, I’m not waiting. I’m being.

I chose to mint this image as my genesis NFT because it holds a story of great beginnings. It was the first image I ever posted to National Geographic Your Shot in response to their Quiet Moments assignment. It was showcased as the Top Shot and Photo of the Day. When Nat Geo shuttered the Your Shot community platform, the photo editors posted a poignant final farewell message along with a gallery of 37 images that represented the best they had seen of all the millions of images that had ever been shared by photographers around the world. This is the first image in that gallery. What a huge impression this tiny emu made!

3000 x 2000