Grandfather

Sophia Zhao

This illustration of the artist’s grandfather’s hand—adorned with colorful abstract shapes—symbolizes the vital connection between rest and healing in aging patients. The hand reflects a lifetime of experiences, while the vibrant shapes represent the rejuvenating processes that occur during rest. For older individuals, adequate rest is essential for physical recovery, cognitive function, and emotional well-being. This image highlights that rest is not merely passive for elders; it is an active, restorative process critical for maintaining quality of life.

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Sophia Zhao is from Newark, Delaware. Her paintings and poetry have appeared in Cordite Poetry Review, The Adroit Journal, The Minnesota Review, Up the Staircase Quarterly, and elsewhere. She currently studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.