Celebrating today as tomorrow is not promised, is something I have to remind myself of, often. There is nothing like the news of a loved one’s being in their last season on this earth that brings me back faster to wanting to make the most of today and the time we have left together here. I remember to well when we found out my father in law had stage 4 lung cancer and the doctors gave him 2-10 months. It was heart wrenching. We all needed to mourn the news of our shortened time with dad, carry on with treatments, pray/hope for a cure and prepare for the worst, all at the same time. It was a bittersweet time in our lives.
Is it better to have someone you cherish gone in a flash, like a car accident, not having the opportunity to say goodbye OR finding out they have a terminal illness, and being able to express your heart to them one last time this side of heaven? Knowing someone you love so much has a terminal illness and their life is limited to just days, you personally can; A get bitter and mourn while they are still with here with you…. thus, missing out on the time you have left with them OR make the very best of every minute you have left with them. We saw it as a blessing to have this time with dad. We tried very hard to make the best of every minute. We had dark moments, yes, but overall choose to celebrate the minutes, hours, days and months we had left with him.

The images captured during this time are some of the most precious and treasured of our lives. They document our love for dad, his for us, our love for each other (even with all the little family conflicts that happen within every family, that are usually only put aside for weddings & funerals). These extremely difficult seasons in our life bring us together, bond us, remind us that our roots are strong & deep no matter where our branches have lead. They are times of laughter, tears, holding hands, hugs that warm the soul and memories that touch the heart for a lifetime. It is cousins, brothers & sisters, parents, aunts & uncles, grandparents and life long family friends coming together to celebrate a life well lived, comforting each other and making new memories.

The ones who go before us live on in our hearts and the memories we share of them. It is a blessed thing to have some of these moments captured so the eyes can remind the heart of how they made us feel. I wish that I would have captured more of this special time, like the newness of a fresh born baby or a wedding, these are memories that are time sensitive and you only have one shot to capture them. If a loved one is in this season of life, has a terminal illness or has passed away, and you want to capture the memories of this time in a photojournalist way, please call (910.818.4251) me, Lisa and lets discuss doing this today.