happy valentine's day.

sharing my two favorite images from this week. eva brought this lovely heart home from school:



i do love it when she remembers to put her shoes on before she goes outside, i love her kisses even more.



the sun was in their eyes so i was inspired to photograph the hand holding that was not at my suggestion but their own whim.

this has actually been a bitter + sweet week for me. more bitter than i would like it to be. i hate goodbyes. i get so emotional. just thinking about it reminds me of some of my saddest goodbyes ever. the ones that happened when i was a child.

anyway. today at mass i could barely hold myself together. this family, a family that we know, sat two rows in front of us with at least three generations represented. the grandmother is always with them at church but i have never seen the grandfather. i assumed, well you know. the grandfather was there in a chair next to the grandmother. he didn't stand. he sat. he sat and then he slept. he slept and then he slipped. very slowly on his bum all the way to the floor during the homily. he didn't move, i actually for a moment worried that he had died. our priest stood silently as the family gathered around him and picked him up. some nice ushers came over and offered to help but the family said no. they sat shoulder to shoulder to keep him propped him up in his chair for a good while. when the time came for the gifts to be presented, the grandmother carried the wine and the large bowl of bread was given to the grandfather as he was erected from his chair by his loved ones. he slowly shuffled his way up the aisle, attended carefully on both sides, to carry the bowl up to the altar. the grandmother was nearby, she needed no help. it was not announced if it was a special day for them so i do not know why today. after our priest came to the grandfathers chair and gave him communion, the family helped him leave the church slowly. to me, this is true love. i don't know what kind of love exists between the grandmother and grandfather. the true love to which i refer, was this family. brave, supportive, loving, and whole.

those tricky emotions of my morning have faded and i will now get myself outside to enjoy the sunshine, maybe draw some hearts with chalk on the cement with eva because it is so lovely out there today.