17/06/2022
“She’s stronger than she looks…”
I recently photographed my best friend’s dad’s 70th birthday party! It was a hoot of a weekend! I got to catch up with all my psuedo-siblings (i.e. her brothers and sisters, two of whom I have known so long that they were in primary school when I met them). While I was chatting to one of them about their life interstate and their young family, he glanced over at his wife and with an endearing and loving look of admiration on his face, looked at me sideways and said “she’s stronger than she looks!”… I paused a moment, then looked back at him with a wry little smile and said “all women are…”.
I don’t mean that in a way that implies that women look weak or soft. I mean they have got fire and steel in their veins that isn’t always obvious from the outside. Since that conversation a couple of weeks ago, my world and inner circles have been full of women being stronger than they appear…
I have watched a beautiful mum chug on, day after day, with kiddos who just seem to catch one thing after another. Kids home sick from school and kindy, sleepless nights, endless clinginess, and right when you think you might have all kicked it, another one goes down…
I’ve watched a woman care for her mother in the final hours of her life, with the most graceful tenderness and love, while also processing her own grief and supporting her children with theirs…
I’ve watched multiple women juggle their career and family balance with amazing determination, integrity and humility…
I’ve watched a woman overcoming the ups and downs of significant morning sickness and still bringing laughter to those around her constantly…
I’ve watched a mother, who has an adult child with high-needs walk the fine and fragile line of providing support, independence and boundaries, with unconditional love…
I’ve watched a mum of a young child with severe anxiety have to make a really difficult decision for their family in order to move forward…
I’ve watched a woman balance motherhood, a new job, her own business, family life and a child with severe allergies requiring her to make just about everything that child eats from scratch…
…CONTINUES IN COMMENTS