Happy Mother's Day

 

Mom.

Over the years I've grown up and learned to appreciate the people around me, especially my parents and my family.  It seems the more immature I was the less I valued my family.  Now that I'm older and constantly growing, I'm learning how important my family is in my life.  More than anyone my parents, I'm sure, have experienced the most heartache over my immaturity.  I can't even bare to think of the days when I would tell them that I hated them.  I can say it was part of being a teenager.  I can say it was hormones.  But all it really was was selfishness.  Aside from Christ, my parents are my biggest examples of love and sacrifice.  Like anyone, my parents are not perfect, nor am I, but still they made me and my siblings their priority.

My mom has been in remission for some time now.  And all I can think about is how God brought her through her cancer.  How in this most difficult time my mom continued to want to put others ahead of herself, always using her struggle to bring praise to God.  That's the woman I wish I was.  That's the woman I'm striving to be.  That strength.  That faith.  That kind of love.  The picture below is in 2011; around that time my mom was fighting cancer.  To be honest it was a sad time, but it was my happiness with my mom.  She was at home, taking a year off from her job as a teacher, and she and I got to go on our adventures.

The picture above is from when my mom was in her early 30s with my five older siblings.  She was only a few years older than me yet she managed to be a mom to all those little ones.  It's really freakin amazing.  I can barely take care of myself.  How she took care of all my siblings around my age is amazing to me.

- - - -

Today is Mother's Day.  And after being a witness to so many births and being able to photograph so many families, I so admire anyone who is a mother.  I couldn't begin to imagine what it's like to be a mother, but I know well enough that it's difficult.  So today, I want to celebrate all the moms in my life.  My clients.  My friends.  My relatives.  All women I admire in my own way.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

o