my sweet, sweet frannie

so, you know those special few people in your life that are forever? the ones that you don’t have a ‘real’ conversation with for ten years… and then when you finally do it feels like no time has passed at all. the ones to pour your heart out to without thinking twice – and walk away never second guessing yourself. i feel very, very fortunate to have a few of these special people in my life — and to have reconnected with them (and their wisdom) recently — when i feel like i need it most. i have set quite the bar for myself as of late, and hold myself to higher expectations than i know are fair… and i need my ‘forever’ people more than ever now. they are one of the main sources of my support, encouragement and love. i learn more and more about myself through my interactions with them. people come in and out of our lives for a reason. i’m coming to understand this (and learning to accept challenges) more and more. i’m am grateful. so grateful.

meet fran.

november, 1997: fran was the person that called me to give me my training schedule, just before starting my very first real job at age sixteen. she was also responsible for training me — bagging ‘perfectly packed groceries,’ exemplifying ‘superior customer service’ and memorizing all of those god-forsaken produce codes! (i’ll NEVER forget that limes are 4048!!) above all of these things, though, was a connection. a deep, mutual respect, caring, loving spirit. a true sign of a ‘forever’ friend that i had yet to truly understand and/or recognize until i had grown up. thanks for helping mold me, frannie. you had more of an impact than you know.

so here we are in 2012. my fran has retired after many years of hard work and some hardships along the way. she has a way of rising above it all, somehow… her passion and love of laughter! you just can not be unhappy around her…. she told me at the beginning of the year that she wanted some portraits taken in the fall at maymont park (and we took a few at her house too) — and that she wanted me to do it. how honored was i?? to quote her: ‘I just want serene, natural settings; quiet colors, great light and shadow that you do so well..these are going to be for my brother and sister and my kids; the last pictures I had done were in 1982, so what does that tell ya!‘ …. to be entrusted with the first portraits in THIRTY years was an honor and a huge compliment…. and, while contemplating it at first, a little daunting! after all, i’d never taken portraits of a singular adult before! most of my subjects are babies/children/families/couples…. but, see for yourself! and this is only phase one! i’ve still tons more to go through! some of her expressions are priceless. it was an absolutely amazing, soul-lifting afternoon.