urban edge foto

This time of year being a Mother of 3 and having been a Mother since I was 21, always takes me back to remembering them when they were little and how much joy they have given me in my life. I am truly great-ful for them and tell myself that everyday. Thankful for their texts, their hugs, their voice…. and their kind words and their cries that yearned out for me. I have always known the importance of photos to have to be able to reflect back on from year to year as they change. On Christmas Eve, we are sure to put out carrots for Rudolph and cookies for Santa. Thanks Ila for the awesome cookies. Hannah even took a moment to write a note to Santa about the milk not being completely full. Her note went on to say,”Sorry not much milk left” – Hannah.(with a frowny excamation mark). During the holidays I can’t help but to be thankful and mindful of those who are not so fortunate. I was inspired by some local photographers to start a collection of items and keep them in a shoebox, knowing I would be giving them to a complete stranger one day. The shopping experience was humbling in itself. And on Christmas Day.. there were three important things I wanted to do, which I accomplished. one. spend time with my family.. two. go to my Dad’s grave and take photos.. three. deliver the shoebox of gifts to a homeless person. I had some touching moments and it was a great day. First when I drove out to my Dad’s (William Robert Keir) there was 6 inches of snow, so as usual I go by feel and walk based on landmarks and clear away the snow usually with my boot. As you will be able to see in the photo I post here that just to the left of where my Dad’s grave actually is, is where I started to clear off the snow with my boots, only to find grass and then I felt it was to the right about a foot of where I was clearing, then I found it. Then as I was almost done, I looked at where my footprints came from directly above and noticed that my footprints had actually walked me to the EXACT spot where he was. At first I’m like, that’s so weird. In the photo you can see to the left about a foot is where I started to uncover the snow. It was just after two in the afternoon and the sun was bright, great for my type of photos so course I was shooting away, a few self portraits too. What is also significant is that my first born was 4 months old when he passed and Dad never got to see any of his grandchildren out of his 5 kids. So Cody’s age is the marker of the number of years he has left us. My next stop was downtown, 12 degrees and quiet streets in Calgary. I made my way to Eau Claire Market and found an unsuspecting gentleman on a bench rolling his cigarette. He had a heavy jacket, a nap-sack, a cap and smokey glasses. He looked up at me once when I told him that I went shopping and would like to give him some gifts. He said thank you and continued to finish rolling his cigarette. I hope from this that I was able to cheer him up and make him feel special for even a moment! And even though 2011 had its challenges as I am sure others did too, it helped to be mindful of others around us and take the focus away from our own lives. I welcome the new year ahead and continue to be thankful in all ways. Some of my favorite moments captured in these stills will hold memories for me always and for years to come. Happy Holidays!

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