What I Am Thankful For

This past week has been an incredibly tumultuous and difficult one. Last Wednesday, my 14 year old niece was diagnosed with a brain tumor and admitted to Yale-New Haven Hospital. On Thursday, the neurosurgeons were able to fully remove this large piece of goop from her head (that is how I explained it to my 6 year old son - in very technical terms!) There were tough times and close calls. Just when I thought every thing would be okay, another crisis would emerge. Thankfully, as of this morning, she is well on the road to a full recovery.

This difficut time has helped me hyper-focus on what really matters and what is really important. And as we approach this Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to talk about what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for....

The doctors, nurses, caregivers and ancillary staff of Yale-New Haven Hospital...
for saving my niece's life and giving her a second chance. It is a gift they have given not only to my niece, but to our entire family. The helped us navigate an incredibly difficult time. Thank you.

I am thankful for...

My family (John, Bobby, Tara and Dave) for completely understanding when plans had to suddenly change and they said "Don't worry about it....do what you have to do. Go and be with your sister. That's what matters." I love you all so much and am incredibly blessed to have you as my family.

I am thankful for...

My friends. What a fabulous support network you have all been. From helping make sure Bobby was picked up and taken to school, taken care of when I couldn't be there...to your prayers, kind words, positive thoughts and general concern. I love that I live in this community. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Thank you so much.

I am thankful for....

my niece. She is alive and kicking and has had to endure more than any child should ever have to endure. She faced her fear and pain with grace and dignity. She is a strong young woman, and I can't wait to see what she does with her life!

I am thankful for....

my sister. For accepting with quiet grace that I wasn't going to listen to her and stay in New Jersey. That I was going to go to New Haven and sit by her side. She, too has had to endure more than someone would in their life. She continues to do so with grace and dignity. And while she may not think so....I believe my sister to be one of the strongest and most courageous people I know. I love you...you are priceless.

Last, but not least, I am thankful for finally listening to my mother and "doing something" (as she used to say) with this gift I have for photography. I get to do something I love and am passionate about, I get to share it with other people, I get to bring smiles to the faces of these families, and I get to give them something they can treasure for years to come.

Have a happy thanksgiving everyone!

Peace,
Gail

Oh....these images...I was working on right before my niece went into the hospital. I love them.

Fleeting Moments

I got a call a short while ago from a friend whose daughter I photographed about a year ago. She asked me to come by and photograph her 4 children (before the winter set in) doing what they usually do on sunny afternoons....playing in the yard, pushing a stroller, riding a bike, eating ice cream cones. As I talked with my friend about how she envisioned her portrait session, we both understood she wanted to do this because we know this special time will pass all too quickly. She wanted to capture this moment in time, so that she could hold it dear for years to come.

As I sit here and look at my son (now with 4 less teeth than at the beginning of the year), well into first grade, a full fledged flag football fanatic....I too am pondering just how precious and fleeting this time is.

I'm so glad my friend called. Things worked out that I was able to photograph her children the next day. It was an incredibly warm and sunny day (in the midst of the monsoon season here). It was meant to be. I hope she sees these images as special and as wonderful as I do.

Peace,
Gail

Little Baby......

As I get ready to plan my son's 6th birthday celebration, I find myself reminising about earlier days. Little baby hands, little baby feet, little baby lips.....need I say more.

They told me the time would pass so quickly. (Of course, like any mom, there were days when I didn't believe that this comment was based at all in reality). But here I am realizing that my days of snuggles and kisses goodbye and holding hands as we cross the street are coming to a close. Of course, it is a bittersweet realization.

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who have stopped me to tell me how much you are enjoying my blog and the images I have been sharing with you. As an artist, when someone tells you that your work inspires them and brings them a certain pleasure... well, that is an inspiration in itself. Thank you.

Wanna Play?!?

I got up this morning at 5:30 to start my day. I never thought I would be the type of person to willingly get up this early. I used to make fun of my parents because they would get up before the crack of dawn and never sleep in. Of course, now I am saying, "Sorry, I just didn't understand". But now I do.

I really enjoy the quiet of the morning and find I can get so much done before my son gets up and starts our day. There is always some sort of activity and excitement once he rises for the day. And, once he's up, I rarely get to sit down again before lunch time (Unless, I'm in the car of course).

Which brings me to thoughts on one of my recent mini-sessions. This great little girl wanted to include one of her closest friends. I'm so glad she did. It made her a little more at ease and we all ended up having a very fun time. And when it came time to do images of just my client's daughter, her little friend even helped as my assistant, holding my reflector, etc. What a great shoot!

The other thing I really enjoyed about this shoot was it's playfulness. While this little girl is certainly her own woman, she was more than happy to play, try some different ideas and even came up with a couple of her own. And even though it was a mini-session, we were able to get comfortable enough with each other to get to the essence of who she is and to see more than just one side of her. We got the playfulness, the quiet and calm side and (while they are not posted here) some wonderful, loving images of her and her mom together.

I can't wait to show all of the images to her mom! Have a great day! Oh....here comes to sun!