Happy Mother’s Day

Hi, Mom. I know you read this, so I just wanted to take a moment to say hello, thank you, and talk about how much I admire you for a minute. It wasn’t until I grew older and into myself that I realized just how much you sacrificed for your children while we were growing up, because you never let us see it then. I know now that being a single parent was the hardest thing you’ve ever done, and I just wanted you to know that I appreciate everything you did. I appreciate the times you told me no, I appreciate the times you stood silent and let me discover on my own, but most of all, and this is really important, I appreciate your support. You have always supported me. You nurtured my creativity, my love for discovery and understanding, and my passion. I followed my dreams because of you. You taught me that anything is possible and that if you’re doing what you’re meant to do, things will fall into place for you, it will feel right, and you will feel fulfilled.

And here I am. Happy. Fulfilled. In love with my best friend. Doing what it is I love to do, and I owe it all to you. Thanks for giving me your best qualities: strength, compassion, courage, empathy, determination, passion, creativity, your smile, optimism, and love for my fellow human being. It is my sincerest hope that I grow into a woman as admirable as you. You’re my movie star.

And since this is a photography blog, and more people than just my mum read this, I thought I’d share some of my mother’s photographs with you. Everything was taken with her Olympus OM-1 and an accompanying 50mm or a 70-210mm.








My favorite one is still in an album at her house in Michigan, but I’ll do my best to describe it to you. The photo album is forest green and in the back there are small slots for slides and negatives and she has every slide labeled and there are stickers over the pockets containing the negatives. They list the ISO speed of the film she used, and the individuals are marked with exposure notes. Every photograph has a title. My favorite photograph is of a potted green house plant, and two tiny white mice are hanging out in the soil. When I asked her about this, she blushed and admitted that she saved the mice from the lab at her work. It made me smile because it wasn’t the first story I’d heard about my mother’s animal rescue attempts. Even now I’m smiling from ear to ear. I love you, mom.