Say Anything......

She is such a beautiful women. I’m not just saying this because she is my mother either. I have had the privilege of being raised by a woman that I have grown to cherish and admire dearly. It seems as she has gotten older her looks have just gotten better. I love this woman more than she will ever know. She has given me life and most of all…….Love. She lives in the middle of the USA and I live in the north. We speak often and she can always bring a smile to my face. This small collage was a gift to her from me. She didn’t even know I had the top photo. We were on our way to Mexico for a little vacation fun. I showed up to her room at about 4pm with my camera and candy. She had some movies to watch and she also had a book to read. I watched the movies while she was reading. After the first movie I look over and noticed that she is really focused on her book. I also noticed that this was a perfect time to shoot photos of her. No make-up, no cell phones, no boyfriend,…..just really good lighting and her beautiful face. Her face was so bright. I start shooting the photos and she kept putting her head down. I ask her to please give me just one shot. She refused. I waited patiently. I even told her I turned the camera off. She smiled and as soon as she looked up I let the shutter work its magic. The result was pretty amazing. I shot this in September 2004. I didn’t show her the photo until 2008. I had been waking up to this photo every morning for the last 4 years. That trip was one of the best trips I have ever been on. She made it that much better for me. The two photos at the bottom was a trip we took to the ATL. We used to live there but life takes us to so many different places and I’m so thankful for that. The photos show my mother with her sisters, father, daughter, and grandson. That’s right. I said grandson. The trip was special because it marked the first time a had seen my grandfather in 16 years. We had a falling out, but we made peace on this visit. I am happy we did that.