You Had Me at Hello:

You had me at hello.

I sit here looking at you again, and it stops me in my tracks.

I see your eyes.
Everything they carry.

Years of loving others well.
Quiet strength.
Responsibilities you have carried without complaint.

Your heart always generous.
Giving. Showing up. Holding others together.

You are their rock.

But somewhere along the way, you forgot to extend that same grace and kindness to yourself.

You have walked with strength for a long time.

But pause for a moment.

Pour a cup of coffee.
Sit with me.
Breathe.

Sometimes it feels like we leave ourselves hanging out to dry.. We give beyond our capacity. We carry so much for the people we love, and somewhere along the way we forget ourselves.

And now we are in the season of Lent.

A season that invites us to slow down.
To look inward.
To reflect.

I will be honest. I am not always good at this either. But the season gives us the space to ask the questions we often avoid.

What stories do you carry about yourself?

What is true?

What is not?

What do those stories hold for the people you love?

Do you allow yourself a resurrection story too?

Are you worthy of gentleness?
Grace?
Honor?
Being seen?

So many women over 40 stand in front of the mirror and only see what they think is missing.

What they should be.
What they used to be.

They forget the strength.

The wisdom.

The life they carry.

They forget the love that has been poured into children, families, friends, work, and communities.

They forget the courage it took to keep going when life asked more than they thought they could give.

Then something shifts.

A quiet moment.
A pause.
A deeper breath.

This is the moment many women remember who they are again.

Through portraiture, you see yourself again.

A love letter written in light.

A reminder of the strength you have carried all along.

That is the work that happens in my studio.

Right now I am photographing women for my 40 Over 40 Portrait Series, a project celebrating the strength, beauty, and stories of women in this extraordinary season of life.

If something in your heart stirred while reading this, listen to that.

That quiet voice is the part of you that remembers.