Papago Park Portraits

She wanted to climb high, reach higher, find a new path, forge her own way. One handhold at a time, from ledge to ledge, inching her way up the barely scale-able wall of red crusty rock.  She tried to do it on her own, she really did. But she couldn’t: she couldn’t do it on her own.

Does it remind you of life?  Of your first wobbling steps as a infant-turned-toddler?  Of your feeble attempts at faking-it-til-you-made it?  Of that first job, that first promotion, that first child, that first classroom? Did you fall after your first steps?  Did you fail at your first job?

Did someone pick you up and help you on your way?

Yes.  You had help: a parent, a teacher, a colleague, a friend, a spouse.

Presumably, you weren’t at risk of falling ten feet down off a ledge among desert rocks when you last needed help, but you needed help just the same.  And someone helped you.

I loved watching Kelley help her girls dream impossible dreams, launch crazy adventures, and climb rock walls.  Cheering them on, talking them through the process, and rejoicing at the eventual victories, Kelley inspired me as she inspired her girls to go ahead and live a little larger.

I love dreams come true, don’t you?  Sunset on the dessert in Phoenix with three of the most beautiful ladies? A dream come true.  High school sweethearts reconnecting twenty-five years later?  A dream come true. Photographs after THREE YEARS of trying to coordinating schedules on my frequent trips to Phoenix? A dream come true.

When Kelley and I were planning for her photo session, I functionally didn’t believe it would actually happen.  Call me a pessimist if you must, but you haven’t seen the many strings of emails between Kelley and I trying to coordinate to make these photos happen!

But once they finally happened?  Ohmygoodnessgracioussakesalive.  I can’t even stand it.  As if those girls aren’t beautiful enough, can you believe how adorable and lovely and beautiful and sweet these high school sweethearts are now that they’ve reunited after a twenty-five year silence?  And photographs at Papago Park at sunset?  Swoon. Drool. Wow.

Enough raving: you must see for yourselves.