Sieze the day

As a photographer you are invited in to to document peoples' lives.  I have been blessed to do this for many years.  I'm extremely passionate about it and I try to share my passion with everyone.

I have documented the first moments of life and in many cases, I took the last good picture of some who have passed.

This morning I got a call. 

My heart is heavy.  A little girl I photographed at a wedding passed away.  She drowned.  People were present and saw and heard nothing. 

The little girl was wearing a vest and swam for a couple of hours at the community pool with her mother.  She decided she was done but as her mother was breastfeeding their new baby, she asked the daughter to give her a few minutes and they would leave. 

Unknown to the mother, the daughter took off her vest and decided to go into the jacuzzi.  When they found her it was too late.

As it turned out there were a couple of teenagers in the jacuzzi and they swore they heard and saw nothing. 

I believe them.

Because it happened to us!

One night many years ago, my sister and I were visiting in the jacuzzi at our community pool, and having a nice conversation.  Her son  (3 or 4 yrs old) was right next to us playing around in arms length of us.  He was safe, right?  

You would think.

But as we were talking we realized we didn't hear him so we turned around and he was completely submerged trying to get up.  And despite his efforts of kicking and flailing, we heard nothing.

My sister pulled him to safety, but I think we were both scarred at that point.  He could have drowned right by us and we wouldn't have known the difference. 

Now keep in mind; as we were talking; it was night and we were the ONLY ones at the pool.  And we still heard nothing.....

I know these teens will never forget what happened that day.  And I know the mother will forever regret asking her daughter to wait.  For her, my heart is broken.

I got a call this morning to provide an image from a wedding that was a lovely rendition of this little girl with her family. 

This is not the first time I have gotten a call like this. 

This is why I know how precious life is, and why I am so passionate about photography.

I'm not a huge planner.  I have a bunch of short term goals and no 5 year plan.  I have never had a 5 year plan.  To me 5 years will never come - ever. 

I have today.

I treasure today!

Today I will be printing an image of a beautiful little girl who dressed up one day for a wedding. I will be printing it as a final memory for her family.

I documented her life.  I'm thankful I have that. 

My prayers go out to her family that they won't live in regret, but will celebrate her memories.