I first met this stunning girl two years ago when her sister-in-law (one of my best friends) gifted her photo session for Christmas. One year later, I asked her to model in a styled shoot and the rest is all history and chemistry. We’ve built an amazing friendship over the last year and when she asked me to do a boudoir session for her, I was thrilled. This gorgeous girl had two babies in two years (if you can even believe that by looking at her) and wanted to celebrate that (and other) important milestones in her life.

I wanted to understand what this session meant to her and her reasons for celebrating all of the pain and privilege of womanhood and she met my questions with an amazing lesson that I think everyone should hear and internalize:

“There is a huge message and lesson I have been forced to learn over the last 6 years that directly relates to my boudoir portraits. The lesson is BE HAPPY WITH THE MINUTES and MAKE THE MOST OF NOW.

My sister died suddenly nearly 6 years ago and that’s when it really hit home with me that nothing is permanent. For a long time after that, I beat myself up because of things I didn’t do that I wanted to do or felt I should do – all while complaining about what I DID choose to spend my time doing.

Then suddenly…kids…two babies in two years. When I first became a mom, I pined over my dancing career that I had to put on pause. But then, my kids started growing so fast that I began to miss when they were babies and it was basically a never-ending cycle of not living in the moment and looking back with regret. So finally, I began to catch on and realize that I need to appreciate where I am right now in life every minute because the next MINUTE – even the next SECOND- things could change drastically and permanently. And, you know what? They always do. Life is so precious and temporary and I didn’t want to keep missing what I had right in front of me. Instead, I wanted to be in love with what I am NOW: meaning what I have, what I look like and what I spend my time doing. All of it is an important part of me and a part of my journey.

I have always been critical of my body and never appreciated it, stemming from years of intense Ballet training. Now that I’ve had two kids, I am not only impressed with what a human body can do and recover from, but I’ve realized it is MY body and part of who I am.

I’ve always been able to appreciate the external things I have but the much bigger challenge I’ve had to overcome and message I’ve had to learn is appreciating myself from within.Beyond that there are so many other motivations for boudoir… remembering my sister who was a beautiful dancer, capturing my youth, a gift for my husband, etc. But the above message is very dear and very REAL to me. This is who I am in this moment in time and it is something to be celebrated. I will never get the chance to live this moment over again so I want to do everything I can to be happy and content in it.”