10/15/2026
I’d like to be a bit vulnerable with you all. Its time..
You don’t have to read this, but just know I am trying, each and every single day.
It’s quite clear that the last year of my life has SUCKED.
I know I have let some of you down in different ways, including whatever the HECK is happening with my inbox (I recently found a bunch of opened messages that I had never even seen before, and was never notified about. Still haven’t figured out that problem....I guess).
I take responsibility for the late responses, missed messages, and delays. Regardless of what has been happening in my personal life, I know you trusted me, and I am truly so sorry.
But I’d like to share a little context.
I have experienced quite a bit of grief in my lifetime, but nothing compares to the loss of my father. My person. My hero. Although he had his demons, he tried so hard. Anyone who knew him would tell you how great he was. Gosh, I miss him so much.
I grew up in a very abusive household, something I have spent most of my life hiding. My parents were, and are, both alcoholics. My mother left us when I was 11. Truly a blessing, if I'm being honest. We never had a good relationship, as she made it quite clear that I was a mistake in her eyes. I luckily turned 12 during the court process and was able to choose to live with my dad, although that meant only seeing my one years old sister every other week.
A heartbreaking decision for a child to make.
My dad and I became quite the duo. My aunt would tease us that we fought like an old married couple.
After my mother left, he relied on me for just about everything, while his drinking continued to get worse. I spent my teenage years parenting my parent, and my toddler sister.
I chose not to open up much about my personal life at school or lean on friends, because school was never really a safe place for me either. I was disliked quite a bit there, too.
I’ve only ever lived my life with a good heart and good intentions. However, given the circumstances I was dealt as a child, I may have been a bit much for others.
I finally got away from PEI when I was 19. Fast forward a few years, and my dad ended up homeless while undergoing treatments for his stage 4 cancer diagnosis. My husband and I opened our doors to him, which led to him living with us for the better part of a decade. All this to say, I’ve always been extremely close to my dad. He has always been such a big part of my life.
And then one day... he was just gone.
My brain and my heart are still having a hard time believing it's real.
But what I don’t often talk about is how I found him…
Because my dad was an alcoholic, and because we had found him passed out on various occasions, I assumed that was what had happened again. I left him there for hours. He didn't have clothes on, so I closed his door and left for the day, thinking it was just like every other time he had too much to drink.
I had no idea.
And now I live with that memory, the guilt, and the random flashbacks of finding his body.
Why didn't I go back and check on him? It's a question I have asked myself more times than I could ever count. It just seemed like every other time.
On top of losing my dad, I am now completely no contact with my mother and stepfather & pretty much my whole family. My mother texted me Christmas morning to let me know. I wish I could make this stuff up.
I was also only seven months postpartum, with a baby who did not sleep. At all. Grieving while extremely sleep deprived, with no one to come help, has been incredibly heavy. However, if you're lucky enough to meet Guinevere, you'll see how hard I fought to continue being the mother my children deserved, as best as I could.
The last year of my life has suuuuucked.
It has changed me.
It has affected my mental, physical, and emotional health.
And somewhere in all of it, I lost so much of the woman I worked SO damn hard to become. Including the business owner and photographer I was once so proud to be.
I know I haven't been myself.
And while I can't change what has happened, I can take accountability for the ways it has affected my business and the people who have trusted me with their memories.
I've spent so much of my life hiding the parts of my story that made other people uncomfortable. But I'm not ashamed of where I came from, or what I've survived. And if sharing even a little of my story makes someone else feel less alone in theirs, then I'm okay with being vulnerable.
I've always wanted to be someone people feel safe with. Someone who listens without judgment. Someone who understands that we never really know what another person is carrying. Because sometimes the people who seem to have it all together are just doing everything they can to make it through another day.
So, with all of this, I mean it from the deepest depths of my soul...
Thank you.
Thank you for continuing to believe in me despite everything that has happened over the last year. Thank you for believing in me when I completely lost myself. Thank you for your patience with the late responses, missed messages, slower editing, and the version of me who has just been trying to make it through each day.
I have been working veeeeeery hard to bring the good parts of me back. To find my happiness again. To feel like myself again. And to get back to kicking ass capturing your beautiful families.
I don't expect everyone to understand, and that's okay. I just wanted to finally be honest about where I've been and why it’s been such a mess.
Your continued support means more to me than I could ever put into words, and I will cherish it forever.
Much Love,
Laura 🖤
