"Dear Mama"
"And there's no way I can pay you back,
But my plan is to show you that I understand.
You are appreciated"
-2Pac
Throughout my journey as a photographer I've had the privilege of photographing many people, from different places and in different times in their own journey. I've been there when people are at a transition point in their life and also right before the change comes. I've also been able to capture folks and their interactions with each other, and getting to witness these things, have been heartfelt moments for me.
As we approach Mother's Day this year, I'd like to dedicate this post to all the Mothers. To those Mothers out there who have done everything possible and even beyond that, to truly earn that tittle. As a parent, we earn the tittle of Mother and Father by our actions, and how we show up for our children, even when those children may not see it, or even appreciate it in the moment.
To the Mother that has been through it all. The sleepless nights. The late night worries when their teens are out and about. The times of discipline you've had to administer and it hurt you most. To the times you were left alone and had to fend for yourself because you had no other choice. To the one that felt the pressure, felt the depression, felt the weight of the world on their shoulders, yet smiled through it all because you did not want to show your smiling child that side of things. To the one who knew what to say at the exact moment that needed to be said. To the one that got it wrong and owned her mistake. To the mother who did better.
To the single mother. To the happily married mother. To the mother that held it together to keep the family strong and intact, even though she herself felt she could not hold on. To the Mother that made it the happiest of birthdays. To the one that sacrificed her needs for her babies. To the Mother that lost her husband and raised their babies on her own. To the Mother who lost it all but gained the world once she discovered her own power. To the Mother that raised strong men and powerful women. To the Mother who raised kids that were not biologically hers but loved them as if she birth them herself. The Mother, who as an aunt, plays the Mother to her nieces and nephews. To the Mother who treated your friends like they were her very own babies. To the Mother that made miracles happen on Christmas. To the Mother who is juggling Motherhood, a career and school. To the Mother who takes on the Father role. To the Mother that is currently without her babies because she is working on bettering herself to be more for them. To the Mother with babies who need a little more patience than the others. To the Mother who never got a chance to be a Mother. To the Mother who passed, but left a legacy behind to shine for generations to come.
Lastly, to you, the Mother of all Mothers, who on this Mother's Day, knows that the work never stops, even on a day dedicated to you. Happy Mother's Day!
-Frank
