wishes…

a special session i did recently has stayed on my mind and in my heart. the beautiful woman in these photos…the one in the knit hat keeping her bare head warm…is dying of cancer. she may not have much longer, although, none of us know how long we have…she wanted some special photos of herself with her adult children and her grandchildren. ones that she can look at now to get her through the hardest days and ones that the others will  have to cherish when she is gone. i had so many ideas and hopes for this session…pretty much none of them came to be…she was feeling especially worn out from pain and frustration that morning… i was told later that she had wanted to cancel several times (her daughter urged her on and helped her get ready)…the weather was crazy that day…i woke to rain and drove an hour and a half through rain to meet them. i shot these in La Jolla under gloomy skies that held off their showers just long enough for a short, but ultimately sweet, session. she was not very mobile, so we moved the groupings around her. here are a few of my favorites…

“this is my wish for you:

comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss  your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, friendships to brighten your being, beauty for your eyes to see, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, patience to accept the truth, courage to know yourself,

love to complete your life.”

~heidi