October 17, 2012
First of all, my mother project finally has a name (to read what I’m talking about click HERE.)
It’s called…
Light and Love: A Photographic Celebration of Mothers
Any time my sister and I were scared or worried about anything when we were little my mother would always say, “Let the light and love surround and enfold you and keep you safe from all harm.” As an adult now, whenever I need that little boost of inner help or peace, I repeat that phrase. It’s helped me through a lot and seemed very fitting to incorporate it into my personal project. What greater honor then making it the title.
Let me introduce you to Patricia and Becki.
Patricia is Becki’s mother. She also has two other daughters, as well as, three sons. Becki, herself, has three children.
Becki is so sweet and I get to spend an hour with her every Thursday for yoga classes (which her sister, Sarah, teaches!) After meeting her mother, I could tell where Becki gets part of her sweetness. They are two strong, lovely, kind women I had the pleasure to get to know. They offered me a wonderful chance to spend time at Patricia’s home, the home Becki and her siblings grew up in.
They let me explore their beautiful home and land and I immediately fell in love with the place. Patricia enthusiastically showed me all the different rooms and pieces to it. Every piece had a story. I quickly learned she had a love for her children, for family, for life. It was such a beautiful thing to see. She did not take any part for granted.
I asked Patricia what gave her this spark for life and she told me the story about how she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 31. About a week after she received the news, she went into surgery to remove the parts of her mouth where they found the cancer and replace them with implants. She made a full recovery and is cancer-free and has been for over 30 years. She is so grateful to be alive and to be able to have the chance to watch her children grow, to watch them have children of her own, to spend time with her whole family. I felt so humbled to hear this. I held back tears as she told me her story and am now as I write it. She reminded me to cherish every moment of life.
We finished up our visit by eating cookies and sharing funny stories. We walked around to see some of the animals they kept on their farm and I also met a couple of Patricia’s grandchildren that like to visit. She always has family stopping by.
Patricia and her husband, John
In the top of their barn they built a skate park full of ramps and rails for all the grandchildren. Coolest hang out ever!
Thank you ladies for letting me spend time with you and sharing a part of your life with me. I am forever grateful.
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