Her Legacy

Legacy is a very powerful word with a very powerful meaning. We all want to be remembered and celebrated and that is your legacy (more on that this week). When K decided to reserve a session with me I had no idea that it was her legacy that spurred her into doing so. About a week before her session this is the email I received:

"The biggest reason I want to do this for my husband is I want him to always remember me exactly like I am now. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last January, so it’s been a rough year. However they say that if you have to have cancer that’s the best kind to have (like any cancer is good) but the docs say the outlook is great. I have the scar on my neck from surgery, but I don’t want it edited out."

And in a follow up email this sentence struck me:

"Although I may live until I'm 100 or get hit by a bus tomorrow,  my life has changed.  I think differently and I feel differently.  The point of getting these photos were to memorialize me now the way I am. No matter what happens in the future,  I'll have this moment forever. It's for me as much as my husband."

I loved her instantly. As soon as K sat down in the chair for hair and makeup we started talking about her journey. She didn't go into it too much but when she talked about not knowing what the future may bring her thoughts went straight to her husband. Though she doesn't know I saw it, she teared up and talked about how important it was to her for him to remember her as she is now: young, beautiful and in love. It was a special moment and I felt honored to share it with her.

Another special moment was when K came back to see her photos. She was very nervous throughout her session that she wasn't nailing the look she knew she wanted. I, on the other hand, saw exactly what I needed and I couldn't wait for her to see her photos because I knew she nailed it. As she sifted through her photos she went from weary, to cautiously accepting, to "I love them!!" It was wonderful to see her fall in love with herself again. To see the delight in her eyes was such fun.

Thank you, K, for coming to see me, for telling me your story and for allowing me to share it with others. You are a lovely lovely young woman and I am a better person for having met you. You're simply beautiful, inside and out. ;-)

To all you other lovely ladies out there...what will your legacy be?

Hair, makeup & wardrobe styling by Justine Lynn of Beauty Justified.