Shirley

I can't explain what a gift every single one of these sessions has been for me, but I always feel the need to try. I snap photos and I pray that even just a couple of them will capture 1/10th of who this person is.  People are so much more than pictures, though.  It is far more than just that blink of time I have with them.  It is about their whole story.  It is about who they are.   It is about stories that make you laugh and cry. I get to witness, even for just a short amount of time, a glimpse of this. I get to see how loved someone is.  And Shirley is so loved.  Shirley had all three of her daughters and one granddaughter home with her when I was there.  I heard stories about all of them, though.  Stories of her mother and father, her husband, her daughters, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren.  After this session they were headed to her great-granddaughter's 1st birthday and everyone beamed and gushed about her.  

   

Shirley loves her family.  

She is vibrant, hilarious, sweet, and loving. She is strong, beautiful and not afraid to stand up for herself.  She is also not afraid of a cuss word. Oh, she made me laugh.

 I always tell people when you photograph them, you can see their light.  And the light pours out of Shirley.