I listened to this podcast yesterday about the good of humanity and beauty in caring small. I can't stop thinking about it so here we are.

 

The conversation circled around making an impact within the circles, causes, interests, and desires that rest in our hearts. How we are not meant to solve every world problem, but we are inclined to certain ones for a reason. 

 

And man, that hit a nerve.

 

I was reminded about an experience in 2018 when I was matched as a bone marrow donor for a little girl in Hungary dying from cancer. I had signed up for the program one day after passing a table in my college courtyard and was contacted out of the blue 5+ years later with the request. My own daughter was 2 years old at the time. 

 

After several medical screenings and appointments, I underwent surgery for the transplant. Recovery was pretty smooth and overall and I was so grateful for my youth and health and the power of modern medicine. It never felt scary to me - I just kept thinking,  how could I possibly turn away? 

 

 

I never heard from the family and can only wonder about that little girl. I hope she got a second chance at a full life. I'll never know. I do know that because I was healthy and decided to give from that bounty, there was at least hope. 

 

 

 

There's a lot of talk about self-care and deserving more and that's all well and good. However, I'm careful around that rhetoric because it leads to holding things very close-fisted. 

 

 

We are made to follow our desires and the pain points that move us and the thoughts that stir us. They are our given buckets to fill. Our creative passions, our open hearts - they are meant to be poured. 

 

We have to fill them, yes, but then we have to pour them. 

 

 

In my first year of business, I photographed a birthday party for a little girl named Haley at an open park in Oahu. It was butterfly themed. She was dying of cancer. There were probably a hundred family members and friends there, many in matching pink t-shirts that said Princess Haley on them. It was her last birthday. I wasn't that skilled at the time, but I was there. And I made photos that mattered deeply to a family who got to enjoy the moment they were in. 

 

I've probably photographed at least one family every year since with a mother or a child or a grandparent battling illnesses, some stable and others who never will be. 

 

I know that's heavy, and for someone who's pitching this letter as a place for stories of simple joy and creativity, this all may seem a little much. 

 

 

 

Family photography feels simple, maybe even small sometimes. 

These letters feel small. 

 

But I'm aligned with the fact that my work is about making words and images that honor people and shine a light on the pockets of hope that keep us going. 

 

Each session is a drop in the ocean. 

And every drop counts. 

With love,

Of of my projects slated for 2025 is to incorporate more community and giving initiatives that honor families and kids in particular. I already give a portion of my school profits back to those schools to support scholarships and teachers, and have partnered with organizations like Stepping Stone, Alex's Lemonade Stand, area food banks, C4K, and more, but if there is a cause that aligns with this mission and is dear to your heart as well, would you let me know? I'll be planning ways to support these missions more in the next year and would love this family's input on that flow. 

This insta post circa 2019 shares a little more from my bone marrow donation story. 

// new and noteworthy // 

We just finished watching The Bodyguard on Netflix which was the first actually gripping thing my husband and I have both been into for a while. It's intense, and slightly scattered in the pieces coming together, but if you like a good political drama/mystery, it's worth it. 

 

The famous Ina Garten Chocolate cake from last weekend was a huge hit. Now for “more pumpkin things” per request by my family. Also, my daughter is having a bake sale this weekend (including these s'mores bars 😍, warm apple cider, and some free rubber band bracelets - so cute, I can't.) If you're local, it would make her giddy to have customers that aren't our 5 neighbors. Hit reply if you want baked goodies from an entrepreneurial 8 year old. 

 

 

FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS - this 2024 photography education survey is a place to share your experiences, needs, desires, hopes, constraints etc. around the topic of continuing education in our industry (+ it will drastically support my market research for 2025 offers in the making just for you) 

 

I've had a few folks reach out about mentoring in the start of Q1 - if you'd like to work together to boost your business in the new year, you can check out the details here and let's talk. 

You're getting The Firefly Letters because either you opted in on my website or have worked with me in the past (maybe both?!). If you're not into getting these weekly letters or are just here for photography-related things, please update your preferences below so I only send you want you want.