An Hour Together {Family Photography}
So this family is something special.
They're fun. They're beautiful. They love each other. And we rocked great weather late November. She called, I had one slot left, it happened to fit into her schedule. Her husband had the day off work. The kids were out of school. The ominous weather literally lifted as I was driving to meet them. The sun broke through. It was meant to be.
You can't imagine how it was meant to be.
We got some incredible shots as you'll see. I love my clients. And I LOVE what I do. I think there is rich value in catching a moment in time, an hour in time, in the life of a family. Or an individual. You can't ever have that hour back but you CAN see it. Forever. Bridget tells me they have huge canvas prints of our hour together all over their house and jokes that they have their own little shrine! I LOVE THAT.
Fast forward to the second week of January. Just 7 weeks after our photo shoot. Just a couple weeks ago.
Bridget writes:
"I went in with the worst headache ever. The ER doc thought I had an aneurysm. They did an MRI that indeed spotted an aneurysm. They did a CT to double check. That, too showed an aneurysm. We met with the specialist for over 2 hours going over every possibility. Never ONCE was it mentioned that it might be nothing at all. It was a sobering, horrifying appointment, and he is THE aneurysm expert.
"They said I'd need surgery, but when the surgeons got to me, they said it was small enough that I could wait. I went to see an aneurysm specialist who said I needed surgery, and I'd have a 1/20 chance of having a stroke during the surgery. Could be a minor stroke, or a major debilitating stroke. He said that I could choose to either have the surgery right away or have an angiogram to make the best surgical plan. I chose to have the angiogram, which gives a view of the aneurysm from every angle. This test showed that it was not an aneurysm, but an infundibulum, which is completely benign, and not in need of surgical intervention at all.
"The story is even crazier because I was pointing exactly to the spot where the "aneurysm" was when showing the doctors where my pain was located. The headaches have gone away, and I feel so blessed to have received so many prayers and a breathtaking amount of support in what was easily the most insane week of my entire life. Thank God I didn't choose to just have the surgery, right? I still can't process all of it. I am so glad that the headaches went away, and we are all doing well! I don't know what else to think about my experience besides GOD IS GOOD."
A couple of days ago I ran into sweet Bridget and her brave husband, Dave, and gave her the biggest hug. She was alive and well. And standing right in front of me. Amazing.
Anyway, you know what she said to me the minute we hugged?
"Alysa, the minute the doctor told me I was going in for surgery and that Dave was to go get the kids and bring them to the hospital, I thought, "Thank God I had my family pictures taken last month. At least they will have those."
Crazy how our brain works in the midst of panic, and yet the reality is, had she not pulled through, her children would have at the very least, had very current pictures of their stunningly beautiful mother. Hugging each of them. Loving on them. There would have been NO doubt that their mother was crazy in love with each of them.
She was SO grateful for the current photos they had of their family. Together.
All five of them.
Aren't you glad this story has a happy ending? I sure am. I'm not gonna lie. I cried the whole time I typed this post and read her emails.
Here's just a very little taste of our time together the day before Thanksgiving, 2011.
And so, I do love a story that ends happily-ever-after.
And I do love Bridget's big heart for her adorable family.
May they have many more decades together.
Love. Through thick and thin.
{There are a few other photos over on my Water Street Dreams Facebook page. Look under "M" family in the photos section. If you like what you see I'd love it if you 'liked' my page.}