The Cystic Fibrosis Family Mini Sessions were a smashing success! The sessions were beautiful, filled with color, blooms, and most importantly, family.
While all family sessions are special, this one was special for a cause. I have known Susie Rider and her amazing family for over 20 years, and over all of this time, Susie has bravely shared her family's reality with a fatal diagnosis. Susie’s daughter Andrea was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a toddler, and like most mother’s, when she heard that diagnosis, her dreams for her child came crashing down. What do you do when you hear that your daughter’s life expectancy is cut by 3/4th?
When kids are born, we expect everything for them but what do we do when our child has a life-shortening diagnosis? Not only do we have to adjust our expectations about what parenting is going to look like but now our child is forced to grow up adjusting their expectations about what life is going to look like for them. So what struck me as I was photographing these beautiful families is that we never know: we just never know what is around the corner.
Susie and Andrea
Susie has always inspired me with the massive action she takes on behalf of Andrea and the CF community. She is a pivotal fundraiser in the research for CF remedies and cures. Where some mothers would have folded, Susie picked herself up and flew, not just for her, but for her family.
So many people shy away from the camera. Moms or dads carry these stories about why they shouldn’t be in front of the camera, but here is the real deal: your kids don’t care what you look like. They just want to be able to see you when you are gone, and the same goes both ways.
You know, kiddos come to these sessions, and they have their own set of emotions. They don’t want to be bossed around or are tired, and we are always going for that “everybody smile! Look at the camera!” At the end of the day though, even if we don’t get that perfect picture, you are all together for that moment, and that moment will never happen again.
That is what we are doing when we are doing family photos. We are creating a moment. We are having the most fun we possibly can doing something that can traditionally be quite painful, and we are acknowledging that this moment will never happen again. We are not guaranteed another moment, so let’s hug hard. Let’s embrace the moment that we have together.
