(Abby's baby bed is on the left and Emma's on the right)
Since not everything from the upstairs room went to the new studio, it's found a great new place for the time being, my old studio space, i.e., the dining area. See.
Since priority one was getting my studio open for business and priority two was getting Emma into her new room, this dining room mess has been on the back burner. Although I've been in no real rush to organize it (especially since I will now have professional help), I have been transferring pictures from old albums to new ones. It's been quite a sentimental journey.
About a week ago, I found the newspaper copy of a great photo taken by my mother-in-law, Joy, many years ago. As you can see, she took the grand prize in this photo contest. I'm not sure of the exact date the photo was taken, but I know she won the contest not long after Brady and I started dating. When The Tuscaloosa News printed it, I cut it out as a keepsake. There was something significant, something special about this picture. The little boy, Curt, is a very special family friend of the Lawson family. The little girl is Kendra, my sweet cousin. The photographer, my future mother-in-law, captured this beautiful moment between two friends. I placed this picture under the clear sleeve of my binder and carried this picture with me to every class, to every lab, to every study group, for a solid two years while at UA.
After sitting in our dining room floor holding it in my hands once again, I realized the significance of the picture. It marked the beginning of my love for photography. How, after all this time, did I not realize it? The very moment captured in the photo is the very basis of my photography. If I can give someone just one shot that will move them like this photo has moved me, I have done my job. It is so surreal to me how a seed planted so long ago grew and found it's way into my life. I am truly blessed.
Thank you, Joy, for taking this photo and for so much more.
