I’m so excited to spotlight Melanie and her mom Carolyn for my personal project. These two are such inspiring women of incredible strength and kindness! I photographed Melanie’s wedding last year. Every time I was around either of them, they were so so sweet and calm. When I posted for nominations of deserving women for my project spotlighting strong and beautiful women, Melanie sent me the sweetest email expressing how amazing her mom is. Here is an exert from the email: “She is the most amazing woman. Ever since I was little I remember every one of my friends always saying after meeting her what an angel she is or how sweet she is! Everyone just loves her after meeting her. There isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for any one of her children or grandchildren.
She has 12 grandchildren and 3 more on the way and it’s amazing to me to see her treat every one of them no different from the other. Everyone always loves coming to grandmas house!
In 2011, my dad passed away from a brain tumor and she handled that sorrow, heartache and trial with such dignity and faith. Throughout that trial I saw what true love between a husband and wife really was and it is something I will never forget. I know there were so many days (there still are days) that she struggled to get out of bed but she knew she had to keep moving forward and living life. My younger brother and sister and I were still teenagers at the time so I’m sure as much as she wanted to give up she knew we still needed her. I know it was not easy for her to take on the role of mother and father and there were definitely challenges that arose but never once has her faith wavered or has she wondered “why me?” I mean maybe she has when she’s been alone but to her family she has always accepted whatever has come her way. I think that is a pretty amazing attribute.
My mom spends so much time caring for others and giving of her time to others that I want her to know for herself and realize what an amazing example and individual she is for so many people around her!”

Everything that Melanie expressed in her email I have seen in her mom while I met with her. At Melanie’s wedding last year, her mom and dad had put together a can full of gifts and letters for Melanie when she was teenager, that she was to wait to open until the day she got married.  I watched Melanie open it with her mom and shed some tears together. I witnessed what strong women both Melanie and her mom are and such incredible love that family has for each other.

After Melanie had nominated her mom, I knew I wanted to spotlight her, but for some reason I didn’t choose her right away. Then about a month or so later when Melanie was 30 weeks pregnant, she gave birth to a still born baby. My heart broke for her. She had lost her father as a teenager, and now her first baby. I knew immediately I wanted to photograph her with her mom.

When we did this shoot, the amazing Katie from KL Artistry did their makeup and I got to go photograph these beautiful ladies!! Melanie never once complained about what she was going through (It had only been 2 months since the tragedy). Though she was grieving she was still smiling, she was still laughing, and she was still as sweet and thoughtful as ever!! She expressed how much of an example her mom is of hope, and how through this it has only brought them closer. Melanie is one of the kindest people I know. Everything she said about her mom such as always caring for others, moving forward and keeping her faith and being an angel describes Melanie perfectly too. Like I said before these women are truly some of the strongest and sweetest. I feel so lucky to know them.