I had one of the most spiritual experiences a little while ago.
It started when I was cruising Facebook and I saw the announcement of my husband's high school sweetheart having her 5th child! This isn't a normal husband's ex situation... I adore Kristen, I considered her a friend. Then again Kristen isn't normal, she's is amazing, so naturally I was drawn to wanting to be her friend:) Her and Seth had maintained so much respect for each other over the years that it was touching and showed so much about the other person and themselves. Anyway, she lived out of state so it was so fun to see her updates on facebook about her sweet family. She was having her 5th and 1st girl. I told Seth and we were both so excited for her! I found myself thinking about her pregnancy and have the thought to offer pictures. I easily brushed it aside (..at first) because of so many reasons: I don't typically do newborn sessions, SHE LIVED OUT OF STATE, I didn't want to seem weird and I was far enough into my business where I didn't normally offer free sessions anymore... As time passed I continued to get the thought "offer pictures" I would immediately think "no, I'm not even good at newborns, she probably already has someone arranged and I can't even if I wanted to she lives out of state... why in the world am I even thinking about this??!!"
Time continued and when I would see more updates about her pregnancy online I started to get more than just a thought of offering pictures, I started to get a strong feeling I would taking her pictures, I even got images in my head of shooting in the hospital with her... sounds so weird I know. I finally realized that I may not understand the purpose but that this was definitely more of a prompting than a thought so I sent her a scattered facebook message saying that I was so happy for her and that I felt like I was supposed to offer pictures.. that I wasn't the best at newborns... blah, blah, blah. The response I got back broke my heart and made sooo much sense in what I was feeling. She explained that her sweet daughter was facing some serious complications. She had a very serious heart defect and that they were still working to find all the answers and all that there were more tests coming but that if she wanted anything in this process it would be pictures! I felt the spirit surround me. I felt the power behind my "feelings" I have NO CLUE why I was so strongly tied to it?! I immediately felt inadequate. We were able to go back and forth through messages and she would update me on the progress of her pregnancy and what they were finding out. Her sweet daughter was diagnosed with not only a heart defect but also some symptoms that would make it very hard to survive once out of the womb.
All the "what? how's and I'm not good enough" that were in my head were solved. She would no longer be out of state, after some bleeding she was brought down to Utah to be near some major hospital that would be better equip to help her and her sweet baby through this. So now she was here, right here. Why? because it's something I could give someone, something I was supposed too and as for not being good enough, they didn't need the photo's to be perfect they just needed them to be.... I have never, ever felt more honor in being a small, small part in this experience with them. I am so grateful Heavenly Father prompted me to reach out, I'm so grateful Kristen accepted my offer. I was able to share some pretty incredible experiences with this family and witness some of the most inspiring love and faith I've ever seen. It changed me. It reminded me why I fell in love with photography. The whole point to taking pictures is so you don't have to explain it with words, to remember that moment almost in detail as you look at the photograph. It was an experience I'll never forget. It turned into more than I ever thought. I was lead by the spirit the entire time. Seeing their families love, strength, heart break, grief, hope was nothing short of sacred. They are incredible people. I fell even more in love with them than I was before. This experience strengthened my own faith.
I had the privilege of capturing her journey here on earth of beginning to end...
(Post 2 of 4)
Here is Sara's Beginning
It started when I was cruising Facebook and I saw the announcement of my husband's high school sweetheart having her 5th child! This isn't a normal husband's ex situation... I adore Kristen, I considered her a friend. Then again Kristen isn't normal, she's is amazing, so naturally I was drawn to wanting to be her friend:) Her and Seth had maintained so much respect for each other over the years that it was touching and showed so much about the other person and themselves. Anyway, she lived out of state so it was so fun to see her updates on facebook about her sweet family. She was having her 5th and 1st girl. I told Seth and we were both so excited for her! I found myself thinking about her pregnancy and have the thought to offer pictures. I easily brushed it aside (..at first) because of so many reasons: I don't typically do newborn sessions, SHE LIVED OUT OF STATE, I didn't want to seem weird and I was far enough into my business where I didn't normally offer free sessions anymore... As time passed I continued to get the thought "offer pictures" I would immediately think "no, I'm not even good at newborns, she probably already has someone arranged and I can't even if I wanted to she lives out of state... why in the world am I even thinking about this??!!"
Time continued and when I would see more updates about her pregnancy online I started to get more than just a thought of offering pictures, I started to get a strong feeling I would taking her pictures, I even got images in my head of shooting in the hospital with her... sounds so weird I know. I finally realized that I may not understand the purpose but that this was definitely more of a prompting than a thought so I sent her a scattered facebook message saying that I was so happy for her and that I felt like I was supposed to offer pictures.. that I wasn't the best at newborns... blah, blah, blah. The response I got back broke my heart and made sooo much sense in what I was feeling. She explained that her sweet daughter was facing some serious complications. She had a very serious heart defect and that they were still working to find all the answers and all that there were more tests coming but that if she wanted anything in this process it would be pictures! I felt the spirit surround me. I felt the power behind my "feelings" I have NO CLUE why I was so strongly tied to it?! I immediately felt inadequate. We were able to go back and forth through messages and she would update me on the progress of her pregnancy and what they were finding out. Her sweet daughter was diagnosed with not only a heart defect but also some symptoms that would make it very hard to survive once out of the womb.
All the "what? how's and I'm not good enough" that were in my head were solved. She would no longer be out of state, after some bleeding she was brought down to Utah to be near some major hospital that would be better equip to help her and her sweet baby through this. So now she was here, right here. Why? because it's something I could give someone, something I was supposed too and as for not being good enough, they didn't need the photo's to be perfect they just needed them to be.... I have never, ever felt more honor in being a small, small part in this experience with them. I am so grateful Heavenly Father prompted me to reach out, I'm so grateful Kristen accepted my offer. I was able to share some pretty incredible experiences with this family and witness some of the most inspiring love and faith I've ever seen. It changed me. It reminded me why I fell in love with photography. The whole point to taking pictures is so you don't have to explain it with words, to remember that moment almost in detail as you look at the photograph. It was an experience I'll never forget. It turned into more than I ever thought. I was lead by the spirit the entire time. Seeing their families love, strength, heart break, grief, hope was nothing short of sacred. They are incredible people. I fell even more in love with them than I was before. This experience strengthened my own faith.
I had the privilege of capturing her journey here on earth of beginning to end...
(Post 2 of 4)
Here is Sara's Beginning
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