Moment- a point of time. In our lives we experience moments that stick with us through our lifetime and with others we shared them with even after we’re gone. They can be something sweet that make us smile or they can be heart wrenching, leaving us to embrace their “beauty” .

Minute- It takes one minute for life to change. One. A lot of you know my story but for those new here, I’ll recap. My dad and sister died Thanksgiving morning when I was ten . That was the first life changing minute in my life. Losing them is what inspired my photography business and is the root of why I push for people to document their MOMENTS not just smiling faces. Life isn’t all smiles….

Memories- After a life changing minute we are left with the memories prior to that minute. I apologize in advance as you read on, this is not a sunshine share. Sure, there are plenty of happy life changing minutes, but that post will be for another day. Today the focus is on the dark reality that you can lose a person in one minute. One.

After losing my dad and sister I always felt like my family was left holding their breathe hoping to not go through another tragedy minute forcing us to shift our lives again. We unexpectedly lost my dad’s brother in the fall of 2017. Again, another post for another day but we all were left clinging to memories before his last minute. Last April another life changing minute happened. I went from singing and laughing with my cousin while we watercolor painted on my living room floor, to packing a bag to make the 10 hour drive to Memphis where one of my 5 brothers lay in a hospital barely alive.

Another tragic minute.

Lives, changed.

Moments, gone.

Memories, remain.

My family and I spent the next 4 months fighting for my brother to stay alive. My mother found sleeping in a hospital recliner her new home. We lived off of coffee and granola bars. We all learned to be nurses at a speed no person should. I drove back and forth from Memphis to Burlington fighting to see my child every other week. (again, another story. another day). After 4 months of touch and go hospital hell we got to take my silent, non walking, fully dependent brother home.

This next part is the real life talk and feelings. I share these feelings strictly to hopefully encourage you to know that you don’t have to be “okay” in the moment you are living in. You can be a warrior and still cry. You can fight to rise above the darkness but you don’t have to force a smile through it all. Drop the mask…you’ll feel better. I promise. Oh, and even though the time feels dark…document it.

I miss my brother. But he’s alive you say. No, he’s not. My goofy smirking brother is not here. When I was fighting for him to stay alive I didn’t think this is where life would be. Have you ever had to grieve the loss of a person? Try grieving the loss of them while a form of them is still here while everyone around you is praising and rejoicing in their “progress” . My heart aches for more moments with my brother. So while I am fighting for my joy and to embrace this new normal I look back at photos with his smirky smile. But, I wish I would have documented more. Practiced what I preach. Document the damn moments.

I write this as a challenge to myself and to you. Life is crazy, believe me I know. But just pause for a moment and prioritize some time to document your life NOW. For the children you could leave behind. For the friends you laugh with. For the family who has been there through it all. Give people moments to keep forever because you are loved and one day you will be missed. For yourself, document moments with the people you hold dear enough that you don’t know what you’ll do when they’re gone.

Document. the. moments.

Lots of you have asked if I’m still shooting and the answer is, yes. Life over the past two years has been a rollercoaster so I set my business to the side. Now that the ripples of the past two years have calmed to a manageable state I am accepting new bookings. I don’t share this part of my life to make money. I don’t care who is behind the camera. hell, even behind the phone. Just document. If you happen to be interested in booking with me I would love to chat. Email me anytime. (hi.emhere3@gmail.com)