Finn and Mair,
Doing Cornwall day in the life photos with your family are a career highlight of mine. Watching your mom and dad navigate their endlessly changing roles as your parents brings me so much joy and laughter because you bring THEM so much joy and laughter (among many many other emotions).
There will come a time when your parents are both home all the time and their duties are more evenly spread between them and it’ll seem strange to hear stories about a time when life was any different, but when I joined you for this session, they were deep in the midst of your dad’s commute back and forth for work. You might not think this matter much, but it means a few different things.
Mairyn, I got to hear the delight in your voice as you raced across a field towards your dad, crying out, “Daddyyyyy! I MISSED you!”
I got to see all of the subtle and unselfish ways that your dad loves each of you, without demanding any of your attention in return; the way he soaks in your presence, even when he’s completely exhausted.
I got to bear witness to the way that your mom balances being your nurse, your teacher, your housekeeper, your chef, your entertainer AND your cheerleader (which she does exceptionally well) and still has the presence of mind to be present with you as “just your mom.”
The way that your mom and dad delight in your existence leaves me comfortable in the knowledge that they’re right where they should be, even if there are hard days. Some day, perhaps not until you’re wrinkled and old, you’re going to realise that your mom has the ability to keep perspective on life in a way that is both exceptionally rare and refreshing – I hope it’s one of many skills that you learn from her.
One day I hope to regale you with stories about how Finn has a tendency to get stuck in downward dog when he tries to get up after each fall (and there are lots of these in your life right now, Finn) or how Mair had a short-lived, but steadfast and very serious friendship with a bag of onions. Finn, I’ll tell you about your ludicrous eyebrow raises when you were unsure about something and your devilish grin when you were sure about something you probably shouldn’t have been. Mairyn, you’ll outgrow your distaste for Lenny, but on this day it meant you were singing songs about him not being able to get you while hiding behind Grandma and Grandpa’s garden ornaments. Your love of your time outdoors means you couldn’t wait to show Dad your puddle and you saw nothing unusual about the step machine in the woods.
I shouldn’t be surprised that you both take life in stride – you certainly learned from two of the best.
Here’s a little peek into the exuberant life you lead:
I’m Ang – a Cornwall, Ontario documentary family photographer with a passion for capturing light and photographing natural moments in life as they happen. My goal is to capture memories that you will cherish once your children are too grown up to curl into your lap for cuddles and the house seems oddly quiet at night. I love meeting new families in their natural environment, whether that’s a rural farm, a back yard in the city, or a local gymnastics lesson, and getting in amongst the bedlam so that I can document the perfectly imperfect realities of daily life. Want to see more samples of SUPER fun Cornwall day in the life photos? Start here!
