It's been a while since I've done an introduction. If you're new here, welcome! If you've been here a while, thank you.
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I thought about this for a while, this whole... describing yourself thing. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to be open and raw or play it safe and tell you how much I love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (and I really, really do).
But.
I've always found these "About Me" sections very intimidating. How am I supposed to summarize all of who I am into a paragraph or two? The most important things? The best things? The funniest things?
How am I supposed to contain all of the poetry and candlelit halls, music and moonlight, laughter and desire? How am I to express all the passion and ideas and excitement for life within these veins?
How do I narrow down my favorite kiss and favorite song? The one that will always be playing throughout the soundtrack of my life? How do I choose a favorite movie? And, oh god, a favorite book...?
Impossible.
And.
How do I see myself as a mother? Passionate. Empathetic. Kind. Centered. Evolving. Believing. Hoping. Teaching. Encouraging. Supporting. Laughing and crying. Feeling the pain and joy of time.
And what about my love? The one who took this photo. The one who stole my heart as our two minds crossed paths and shared thoughts and poetry, all those years ago, before we even knew to think of it. The one who has flown all over the world for me. The one who inspires and excites me every day. The one I want to grow old with. What do I say of him?
Jonathyn, I love you.
So.
I don't know how to fit all of that into one About Me section.
But I do know I can tell you why I am here.
I'm here because photographs are EVERYTHING.
They are portals into our past selves, our precious memories, the in-between moments we don't think twice about to the big ones where our hearts soar or sink and our souls sing with the wind.
I am here because I want, so desperately, to remember every damn moment. But I can't. We can't remember every moment, no matter how hard we try. Sometimes those memories fade so others can shine.
But...if we have a photograph of these moments, big and small, we can touch them. We can feel those memories again. And they will be closer to our hearts for it.
I want everyone to feel that warmth as they remember their own moments years from now. Now until forever.