“You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
― Khalil Gibran, The Prophet
april | 2012
As a season with giving at its core, we are often overrun with a blur of activities that veil the real magic in the air. Between the buying and wrapping and baking and decorating & the gatherings and events, the real gift of giving can get lost in all the have to's and must do's and need to's. Yet the most magical gift we can experience lies in giving to others. I can't take credit for how I feel about serving others either; it's how I was raised/who I am, and it's at the core of photography & my business.
A few years ago I had the opportunity to photograph this family of four generations and when I learned that Vanessa (the mum of the little) was going to be serving in the National Guard and would need to be away from her four year old for six months, I offered her a session (and the best time for her was in December when she was back on break). And after months of following the updates and photos between she and her girl, I got to see a little video of April seeing her mom for the first time over Thanksgiving - the most impacting exchange I saw that day.
So for me, giving to one who is giving to our country, and to a little who's giving up her mom for a period of time, is one of greatest gifts I can give this season. While I have much more to say on giving this season and in the year ahead, I will end with a few photos from our last time together two years ago.
