Loving Life.. One face at the time!

"Poverty is a veil that obscures the face of greatness. An appeal is a mask covering the face of tribulation." ~ Kahlil Gibran

"The future is an opaque mirror. Anyone who tries to look into it sees nothing but the dim outlines of an old and worried face." ~ Jim Bishop

" Time has been transformed, and we have changed; it has advanced and set us in motion; it has unveiled its face, inspiring us with bewilderment and exhilaration."
~ Kahlil Gibran

~ Each week we are challenged to share a photo containing a face.. we are also given a theme.. The IHeartfaces theme this week is "Random Act of Kindness" It is further explained as a way that one has used their photography to help others.. I almost always have a camera.. on my desk.. in my backpack.. in the car.. and I love faces.. I am constantly snapping children and animals and the old folks.. I have lots of shots that no one knew I got.. I love a sneaky shot...

So on to the story..

I was once a single Mom to three kids.. holidays came and went without much fanfare in our house.. Santa came and brought things they needed and always a special gift.. Birthday parties were small .. But all in all their holidays were celebrated.. and then came Mother's Day.. I insisted that they spend that day with me.. I always cooked us a great meal and I always made a new photo of them for myself on that day.. a reminder to me and them that we had a special bond of love.. I would drag out a child's rocker or brush the ants off of a log.. but somehow I was going to get a great shot of them for that day.. a gift to me.... Mother's days came and went and children grow up and move out.. and then came the others.. friends with children and missing Dads... family with baby~daddies instead of husbands.. Mothers who loved their children.. and yes a few Dads in the same boat.. and holidays with no gifts.. It's not that they didn't have help.. most single parents do have some support system.. Grandparents.. friends.. Crazy aunts.. (that would be me!) but children... especially little children want to give gifts to their Mommies and Daddies too.. they can't if they have nothing to give.. I was babysitting a slew of single parent children when the idea occurred to me during a conversation Emily and I were having.. we going through some "junk" boxes.. she was amazed to find that they weren't junk after all but boxes full of handmade cards and letters and drawings from her and my two boys.. it was just before Mother's day and she confessed to me that she always wished for something to give me beside the colored picture of a flower the school handed out.. Poor thing can't draw a straight line.. She and I together hit on a plan.. out came the old white child's rocker and some fancy hair ribbons.. we dressed all of the daycare children up in the best we had here for them and while we did the photography Dave and Cooper made a "Dollar Tree" run for frames.. I told them just any will do but the guys chose well.. Friday afternoon the children could barely sit still as parents came and left with a special gift.. The children were excited to have a special gift for their Mommies.. Some of the Moms cried.. Emily and I cried together.. we carried on with that tradition for all holidays as long as I ran the daycare.. Many times now I think of all the children out there with no gifts to give except their love.. I wish I could make photo's of them all.. Do you know a single parent? Can you afford a dollar store frame or a small photo album??.. You have no idea how happy you could make a youngster by helping them make a photo project for his or her parent.. The children in my first Photo are Han and Dan.. as you can see they are happy to pose for me.. They are older now and may even forget that Friday so long ago.. when they stood at the window.. excited and happy waiting for their Mama to make it to the door.. where they attacked her with kisses and one small wrapped present.. a picture of them.. smiling and happy.. hearts filled with Love and the joy of having a gift they could give to their Mommy!

~ Project Life encourages us

to make a photo a day in 2010.. photo's that capture the grandest moments of life.. My Life Photo for today is my daughter Emily.. my Baby girl and sometimes partner in photo "crime".. we love to go on Photo walks together..

Thanks for stopping by my world today.. I do hope you enjoyed your visit to my life.. I welcome comments.. Have a wonderful day..

Patsy