This post is a a sad post. Yet a happy one as well. That’s very contradictory, I know.

Lydia called me to talk about scheduling a portrait session for herself & her children with her grandparents.

I always love shooting grandparent sessions, so of course I was super excited. As life happens for many people, Lydia’s schedule became hectic and this session was put on hold. A “few months” later, I receive a call and it’s Lydia to tell me her grandmother has gotten sick and she would like to schedule a session. Do I mind shooting at her grandparents house, because her grandmother may or may not feel up to getting out of bed.

Not a problem.

The day comes and I head over, looking forward to meeting her grandmother who I had heard so much of. This is a woman who raised many children, had a full life and was now called “mommy” by Lydia. This is a woman who is loved by her many children and grandchildren. This a great woman!

I arrived, and saw on Lydia’s face a look of deep sadness as she said my “mommy” is asleep. I don’t think she can get out of bed today. Just the other day she was in great spirits and looking so well, I don’t know what happened.

We crammed into her “mommy’s” bedroom and what I saw wasn’t an old tired woman in bed. I saw a room full of love! I saw a man laying in his bed who looked over lovingly at his wife of a lifetime. I saw children carefully huddling around their great grandmother and holding their mom’s hand. And I saw this grand woman who was nearing the end of her path on earth, wrapped in a blanket of love pouring out from all the people who’s lives she has touched!

The following pictures can only show you a snippet of what I saw that morning.

A few weeks after these images were posted in a  gallery for Lydia to view, I received a sad call. Lydia was calling to tell me her “mommy” had taken her last breathe. In the midst of such sadness and tears, her voice cracked and she thanked me for taking such beautiful pictures of her “mommy”. The last taken , which she said she will treasure forever.

These phone calls, although they are very sad, also make me realize that as much as I love photography and people, I really truly love photographing people because I love being able to capture and share moments with people that are so hard to explain.