10/10/2026
Mariela and I have known each other since our kids were babies, back when we were swapping baby food recipes and commiserating over sleepless nights. We’ve worked together, about two feet apart, for 13 years…probably spending as much time together as we do with our own families.
For nearly a decade, I’ve also had the privilege of photographing her and her daughter, Sophia. I’ve watched the little girl in pigtails and dresses grow into a beautiful young woman with long curls and flowing gowns. Those sweet, awkward twirls with her mama have turned into the graceful movements of a ballerina, now towering over her mother.
There’s something so bittersweet about watching your friends’ children grow up. You still see the little girl they once were, even as you marvel at the woman they’re becoming.
And perhaps the most beautiful part is seeing all the love, tenderness, and grace a mother has poured into her child reflected right back in the person she’s become. ❤️
Mariela Magnan
