Dear Journal,

There’s something very special about a mother-daughter relationship. It’s the type of relationship that can’t be summed up by one word. It’s everything we are and everything we aren’t. As daughters, we may not always see eye to eye with our moms while we’re growing up. We feel like they never understand us or our teenage struggle and that their sole purpose of existence is to embarrass us. But something happens when we become adults. Our appreciation for our mothers grow to a level we simply can’t comprehend when we were younger. When we become adults, they are no longer just mom. They become a friend. And that friendship was on full display when I had the chance to photograph LeMona and her mom Ms. Altheria.

When LeMona contacted me about wanting to do a mother daughter session with her for Mother’s Day at  Sims Lake Park, I immediately got excited! Portraits with our mothers is something I believe in with every fiber of my being because without them, we wouldn’t be half the women and men we are today. Their love molded us like no other and without them, we wouldn’t be here…literally. These are the type of portraits we will all cherish for generations to come.

I met LeMona while attending The University of Georgia and hadn’t seen her in years, so of course I couldn’t wait to catch up with her and celebrate her sweet mama! Ms. Altheria has one of the most peaceful spirits I’ve ever encountered! Just a few minutes into our shoot, we began talking and she immediately reminded me of 1 Peter 3:4, which says: 

“You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”

That gentle spirit paired with her radiant smile was a winning combination. There is a light that illuminates in both LeMona and her mom that can’t be explained…only experienced. To see these two laugh and love on each other not only as mother and daughter, but as friends filled my heart with so much joy! 

When I asked LeMona what she loves most about her mom, she had this to say:

“Her gentle, giving spirit. My mother is the most nurturing person I know. She’s always been so attentive to my and my siblings’ needs. She loves us selflessly and without condition, and I’m really grateful for that. She has such a beautiful light. I see her as the woman who commands attention without even saying a word.”

As soon as she said that, I immediately knew exactly what she meant. The grace, strength and love her mom possesses was so apparent the moment I met her. 

I know for me, it wasn’t until I got older, I started to understand my mom on so many different levels and once I became a mom myself, she really became more than mom and grandma…she became my friend. Someone I could joke with, laugh with and appreciate in a new way. To see LeMona gushing over her mama the way she did and loving her not only as her daughter, but as a woman was… simply beautiful. 

LeMona, Ms. Altheria, thank you for allowing me to capture the magic of you two. It was my sincerest pleasure to witness the love you two share.