Not very many days before this past Christmas I learned of the suffering a family in our church was going through as they had recently found out that their dear mother/grandmother and wife had been diagnosed with cancer and that it had metastasized into several organs. The doctors did not give them a lot of hope, but they performed emergency surgery and began looking at all options to best care for her. She was able to go home on Christmas Eve and has begun various treatments.
I had first met this wonderful lady and her good husband only several months before and had visited with them several times, much to my enjoyment. Of course I went and visited her while she was still in the hospital and found her to be her usual positive, happy, charge-taking self, to which I was very relieved. A couple weeks later I was able to visit her at home, and again had a wonderful visit. I had thought over and over about what I could do to try and bless her life and let her know how much I appreciated the opportunity to get to know her and her husband. The only thing that came to mind was to get some photos of her. While visiting I finally worked up the courage to ask her if I could do that for her and her family and I was so happy that she was pleased to do that. I don't need to tell you that I felt that these were among the most important portraits I had ever taken.
I am so grateful to her, her husband, and her daughter and her husband who graciously let us use their lovely home, for letting me capture a few moments of their life.
I titled this post "Tragedy?" because even though it is a tragedy that she has cancer her attitude is such that she lifts people up and makes their day better for having spent some time with her. Had it not been for this "Tragedy?" I might never have had the opportunity to get some wonderful photos of them and one of them might have died from an accident or heart attack or some other cause and everybody would have said "Why didn't we get any good photos while they were healthy?".
Who do you know that needs good portraits taken? Well get off your seats and go take them.
Posts
6 comments:
What a wonderful way for you to show your support in a difficult time. The pictures are wonderful!!
What an awesome use of your God given talents. Beautiful portraits that I'm sure will be treasured for years and years to come.
what a wonderful thing to do.
thanks for taking care of them in the way that you did, and i assume, will continue to do.
These are beautiful. I want to start taking more portraits myself, and what a great way to start with people to whom it means so much.
What a wonderful post and your piuctures are perfect. Great blog.
These are beautiful portraits and a wonderful story!! You did indeed bless their lives, and the lives of all their family in the future as they will have these lovely images forever! And you're right. It blessed your life as well. This reminds me of a tender experience I had about 1 1/2 years ago. A dear niece who was 5 months pregnant called me in shock. She had just found out her baby had anacephally (can't remember how to spell that). This baby has no brain, just a brain stem, half a skull and a deformed face. The doctors urged her to abort the baby and said it would be a miracle if she carried to term. She and her husband are a very religious couple and felt the baby was part of their family and they wanted him to stay with them as long as possible. They named him and prayed he'd be born alive to be given a blessing. She called to ask me if I'd come to the hospital when she delivered to take photos of the baby and of the baby with their family. (They have 2 other little boys.) She sent me an article titled, "How to photograph dead or dying babies." I was in shock! In my wildest dreams I never imagined I'd use my photography in this way. I prayed I wouldn't fall apart but would be able to hold myself together and remember how to take a picture. The baby was born alive and lived about 2 hours. This was one of the most special experiences of my life. With skills I did not possess, I took beautiful photos of this precious baby. One especially lovely one they printed large to hang on their wall. Thru this experience I learned of a wonderful organization called "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" who does this very thing. I've also learned of a new organization with a group in our area here in Utah called Help Portrait. Thanks for letting me ramble, your post brought back so many memories!!
Post a Comment