My sister, Stephanie, is one of the most amazing women I know. She is my best friend and has always stood behind me when I needed it. I have done the same for her. It is what we do for each other. She is an amazing mother, fierce in her love for her two boys and the other kids she has claimed as hers along the way. She has been an outstanding advocate for them, never allowing them to go without anything they needed. Even now when they are grown.
She works tirelessly. She loves freely. Anyone would tell you that she would do anything she could to help you out, even when times are tough for her. Her heart is so incredibly generous. She has this capacity to keep giving. She can't stand to see someone who needs help and not try to find a way to give it. She has been through some tough times of her own, and so she knows what it's like. No matter how many times I have seen her knocked down, she has always gotten back up and come out better for it. Every. Single. Time. I have such admiration for this quality of hers that allows her to keep her mind and heart open to new opportunities. She doesn't hide from anything.
She has been willing to help me as I have been working towards becoming a photographer. She lets me talk her into modeling for me. It is no wonder that I want to shoot pictures of her. I was also thrilled to talk her into an evening shoot to take advantage of the prettiest light. She was game and was willing to wade through a field of tall grass, avoiding picker bushes and uneven ground, so I could try to capture the shots I wanted.
As we did this last shoot, she made a comment about a woman of a "certain age" modeling for a photo shoot. (She named her age at the time, but I'll keep that to myself.) She was feeling a bit conspicuous, and she really didn't want the general public to see us at work. I think as you take a look at the photos below you will see how beautiful she is at a "certain age". I would be completely jealous if it weren't for the fact that she is just as beautiful on the inside.
So, sister of mine, as you look at these photos, I hope you can see past your "certain age" as it has no bearing on true beauty, and you can know just how gorgeous you are inside and out.
