{ Band Aids & Bruises }

This post started out as a plug for how great canvases are since some clients had asked AND yes, it seems like quite an investment, so you want to make sure that you like what you get. Well, it IS a kudos for canvases, but this post also became a reflection on this image…

Penny was my husband's dog all throughout college at Texas A&M where we met and fell in love...but I probably dated him as much for his dog as his humor and good looks...:) I loved this little four-legged creature! If you knew her, she was absolutely unique! She was a pistol of personality and stubbornness...and I probably shouldn't mention that she loved chicken wings. But there is NO doubt that the thing that defined Penny the most was her bark...not really a bark, but a trill. It was the most unique thing I have ever heard, and I still can't describe it, but I can certainly still hear it. It was her voice and she used it the most when she was overcome with joy and excitement...and doggedness.

Then...Jeremy and I got married and we all joked that if the church would allow it, she would walk us down the aisle! Although the church was not so lucky as to get that opportunity, we DID move to Dallas where we both continued to work in veterinary medicine until life took Jeremy into research and me into motherhood.

With all of the joys that come with parenthood, Penny was a part of that joy - she was thrilled with Emma! Penny spent many sleepless nights with us as we paced the floor, and gave Emma spit baths when we weren’t looking…:) When Em began to crawl and walk, Penny was the ultimate in patience; she never put up a fight. Where some pets struggle with change and develop into behavioral nightmares, Penny loved her new role. Emma could pull her hair, squeeze her neck and lay on her like a hairy body pillow. She was our four-legged little mama.

So when we found out she had diabetes, we didn’t hesitate in treating her. She endured many pokes and proddings, injections and test, but she hung in there for over a year. Then cancer came… She was so stoic and took everything in stride. Over the next several weeks, we knew we would have to make a decision, but as long as she was comfortable for the moment, the decision seemed down the road instead of around the corner.

Then, on Sunday, July 5, 2008 I told Jeremy that instead of church that day, we were going on a play date. It was something I had been meaning to do, but just had never made the time…one of those ”I’ll do that next week.” kind of thing…ya know. So we all got dressed and took Penny and Emma to one of my favorite little spots in Downtown Waxahachie and as always, my camera came too. I didn’t know at the time how much it would mean to me, but looking back, it was one of my life’s top 10 moments. We all spent about 2 hours talking, playing and snapping magical photos.

Penny spent most of that afternoon in restless sleep and trying to get comfortable; that night wasn’t much better. By the time we got home Monday afternoon, she was struggling to walk and had no interest in food…which for Penny, was definitely a sign. After a long talk with a dear veterinarian and friend, we made the decision to say goodbye that night to our wonderful Penny. We were all heartbroken…even our extended family was devastated – she was after all, a member of our family.

I spent the next couple of days editing images from our last little play session together, and upon careful glance, I noticed all of the little scratches, bumps and bruises on Miss Emma. She was in the “I fall down for any and everything” phase, and I probably wouldn’t have held a session if I had been in my ‘right normal mind’. I would have waited for them to heal. Then I noticed something else…the Band Aids. Em was also going through a Band Aid phase. Even if there wasn’t a boo-boo, she had to wear Band Aids. It was just part of her accessorizing I guess. Sometimes 2, sometimes 20, but there was always a Band Aid on her somewhere! I thought about editing them out, and then I decided against it. The Band Aids were part of those little things that made the images so special to me and remembering them both, Penny and Emma, like they were on THAT day – unedited.

I didn’t know that we would be putting Penny to sleep the very next day, but if I had waited on Band Aids and bruises to mend, I would have missed the magic. So that’s how I want to live my life now, not caring about the little scratches and bumps…not waiting to lose that 10 extra pounds…not postponing something until my hair looks just right – all of those little imperfections are the stuff life is made of! And if we were all perfect, there would certainly be no need for Jesus and His salvation!

So – don’t wait, take out your camera, today, tomorrow…or have a session with me, with those you love…and snap away! Don’t spend life regretting that you missed the magic because of some little Band Aids!

And in case you’re wondering – you can see a wonderful PHOTOSHOW from Penny & Emma’s session by clicking HERE

The canvas (below) was thoughtfully chosen by me and Em for Father’s Day 2009…and it’s an investment we haven’t regretted anything about…ever! :)