how to save a life

i donated blood today!

most people would probably take this for granted or not even give it a second thought, but it's been on my brain for 21 years. when my mother died of leukemia, i wanted to donate blood as a way of repaying those who selflessly gave their blood to her.

i'm not a tall woman, or a heavy woman, but i am now a healthy one. for all these years, i was denied the ability to give blood because i was "too little" or "not heavy enough". well, there was finally a benefit to putting on a few pounds because today they couldn't deny me anymore.

i lay down and just breathed in every moment of my experience. i've crossed off another item on my life's "to do" list. my heart is full. :)

and you know what else? i was inspiring enough for my husband that he donated again today too!

the creamy filling

i have this "thing" called "my oreo cookie". it's not a real cookie, but a concept that i have adopted about the immediate girls/women in my life - my mother and my daughters. when i photograph weddings, i love to do generational pictures. nothing speaks to me more about the longevity of a family than seeing multiple generations together. i had been part of my own oreo cookie, for about 18 years. then after my mother passed away, i had my own daughters, and my dearest wish was to be the creamy filling. i am, after all, a motherless mother - one who has to face the struggles of parenthood without the guidance that only a mother can provide. for some people, this "cookie" may seem like a silly concept, but for me, it was something i longed for that i had finally resigned myself to never having...until 2 weeks ago.

i returned home for a quick visit and shortly before my arrival it had dawned on me that there was one special woman who has always been my cookie - my grandmother (mommy's mom). she'd been there all along, but i was so consumed thinking about my mother's absence that i had failed to see her there. she's almost 100 now and unable to participate in daily activities. but every time i go home, she's there for a few minutes, enough to remember me and to greet me with a smile. so with my younger daughter by my side, i asked my husband to take a photo of my oreo cookie.

sometimes when you don't have all the ingredients in your recipe, you just gotta improvise.

baby steps

it's been a while since i've written, much apologies for that. but the busy time is over and we're slowly prepping for the holiday season. in my last blog entry, i alluded to a big decision that i'd made. it may not seem like much to you (or a surprise, for that matter), but for me, it helps clear out the traffic in my brain and will help give me more focus.

i've had many interests over the course of my life, but photography, web design & graphic design were the three things that always stayed with me. it was only when i reached a major creativity block with my design that i decided that photography really is the one true path for me (again, not a big surprise for those of you who know me). it has been my love since i was a child and i can always count on the fact that when i pick up the camera, i know i can make magic happen. not always true for me when it came to web or graphic design.

so with that being said, i'm going to be taking this challenge head-on and hope to do it in baby steps, with patience guiding my hand and my head. as always, thank you to my little muse, who never fails to provide me with the inspiration i seek.

the beautiful song of this treeh's leaves

tomorrow my littlest sister is running her first marathon for the leukemia & lymphoma society of canada. this one is for many people, but especially honours our mother who died from leukemia 20 years ago (back when the little one was just 5). i am so proud of her, you have no idea. this tiny creature - all 4 feet 8.5 inches of her - is my hero.

this is not her first charity event. in recent years, she has donated her hair, she has shaven her head, baked cookies, walked & ran other charity walks - all in an effort to raise money for various diseases. when i think of all she has accomplished and all she is setting out to do in the name of others, i am left speechless and filled with tears. she won't be able to hear me cheering loudly on the streets she's running down, but she knows i will be there in spirit.

please check out her blog at the link to the right titled "tracking treeh"