This is the fifth in the series.
However, it was the first set of photos that I viewed after returning home. I took these photos of Susan Amaya at her North Fresno home on August 16th, the anniversary of my father's death. Martha Tessmer, the founder and leader of the Mothers of an Angel network drove me to Susan's house and we talked about our day and Teen Impact Driving.
Before we walked into the house, we talked about Susan. In the house, Susan asked what most mothers ask. She asked how this photo experiment works. I am still not really sure. I think I am creating the rules for it.
The mothers allow me into their space. We talk. We share experiences. In this case, Susan and Martha talked about their children and how they spend time together. You can see some of the discussions in the photos.
Mothers of an Angel Susuan Pt1 - Images by bryan farley
Susan also joined us after lunch at the Clovis Cemetery. I included a slideshow from after lunch too.
I also realized that I needed a few rules. Usually, when I create slideshows, I change the order of the photos to tell a better story. I felt that changing the order of photos would not help improve the story telling but interfere with the impact.
Many photos are very similar, so I might omit them. Or, someone blinks. Or, I focus on a back wall instead of the person. But I noticed something that often repeats during these photo shoots. People smile. People cry. In some photos, people are doing both. This emotional interchange occurs rapidly. I wanted to show how these emotions are normal in the Mothers of an Angel group.
Celebration and Pain. These emotions co-exist. And I suspect this is difficult for many to see, because many of us are uncomfortable with all of it. We are uncomfortable with pain. We are uncomfortable with people who change emotional states suddenly. Change is uncomfortable. Sudden change is even more uncomfortable.
But we are also uncomfortable with people who celebrate life. I wonder if this is the biggest challenge that the Mothers of an Angel group presents. How many of us really celebrate the lives we have?
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