Sorry, but this is a long one but I'm hoping you will find it worth the read. Not long ago, I posted two portraits of my friend. So many kind things were said by the HH community. I wanted to tell everyone that I had her read all of the comments. Some I made her read twice (no, really, I wouldn't scroll on until she read again). She cried! By the second, she had her hand over her mouth and by the 5th she had tears which stayed until I left. She said to thank you all "for making this ol' ugly ducking feel like a swan". (I swear, that woman, lol!) Anyway, wanted to share that y'all had a part in making my friend feel as beautiful as she is.

What I hadn't included, bc I wanted all genuine reactions, is that she is a selfless hospice home care provider (for decades) and has just been diagnosed with cancer, herself. This session was agreed upon, as a gift to her children and grandchildren, before she started chemo treatments (I wasn't even aware of this, myself, at the time).

At the end she insisted I take a quick photo of her turned and waving. I kept trying to say no (didn't match my normal style and seemed silly) but she was insistent and said how important it was to her. So, I took this photo. Not a good photo, imho, but she said it was what she needed and openly sobbed when she saw it. I thought the whole thing odd but, whatever, right? I did get what I wanted so why the heck not?

It wasn't until she told me about the cancer as why she had finally agreed to the session that she explained this waving photo was for display at her funeral. That's why it was so important to her and why she wanted it just like this. Talk about feeling as if someone punched you in the gut! What an honor and a privilege.

Please, no CC on this one. I just wanted to share part of my friend, the joy you all gave her and that we don't always know the impact of what we do.

Sorry, but this is a long one but I'm hoping you will find it worth the read. Not long ago, I posted two portraits of my friend. So many kind things were said by the HH community. I wanted to tell everyone that I had her read all of the comments. Some I made her read twice (no, really, I wouldn't scroll on until she read again). She cried! By the second, she had her hand over her mouth and by the 5th she had tears which stayed until I left. She said to thank you all "for making this ol' ugly ducking feel like a swan". (I swear, that woman, lol!) Anyway, wanted to share that y'all had a part in making my friend feel as beautiful as she is.

What I hadn't included, bc I wanted all genuine reactions, is that she is a selfless hospice home care provider (for decades) and has just been diagnosed with cancer, herself. This session was agreed upon, as a gift to her children and grandchildren, before she started chemo treatments (I wasn't even aware of this, myself, at the time).

At the end she insisted I take a quick photo of her turned and waving. I kept trying to say no (didn't match my normal style and seemed silly) but she was insistent and said how important it was to her. So, I took this photo. Not a good photo, imho, but she said it was what she needed and openly sobbed when she saw it. I thought the whole thing odd but, whatever, right? I did get what I wanted so why the heck not?

It wasn't until she told me about the cancer as why she had finally agreed to the session that she explained this waving photo was for display at her funeral. That's why it was so important to her and why she wanted it just like this. Talk about feeling as if someone punched you in the gut! What an honor and a privilege.

Please, no CC on this one. I just wanted to share part of my friend, the joy you all gave her and that we don't always know the impact of what we do.