I have to be honest, I didn’t always know what my brand was. I was so inspired by other photographers and creatives that I never quite captured the most important thing: who I am.
I tend to attract people who have similar personalities and struggles that I do. I wasn’t always the social butter fly. The majority of my life has been marked by lack of friendship and hours of online gaming. It wasn’t until I attended university (8/2014) where everything started coming together.
That’s where I met Ashley.
Little did I know how much impact this girl would have on life. She’s like the sister I never had. We have similar struggles and yet she inspires me to be better each and every day. Somewhere between then and now, the experiences Ashley and I shared taught me a valuable lesson: no mater what, strive for happiness.
Now Ashley is a very unique person to say the least. She’s strong, she’s brave, and she’s a boss. And if there is one thing that makes me happy, it’s making her smile. A smile so beautiful it will elicit a smile from anyone near by.
Knowing Ashley is a little camera shy, I knew getting that smile might be a challenge.
Thus, I drew upon something I know makes her happy: our friendship. What started out as simple photoshoot turned into reminiscing on all the fun times we have had in the past. We laughed, hard. We talked about her nephew Isaiah aka Chub Chubs. (Ashley smiled after reading “chub chubs”)
I guess I am writing all this because I am going to miss her. I’m going to miss going to the gym and pushing each other to our limits. Im going to miss the late night watching TGIT. But most importantly, I am going to miss you. Ashley is following her heart and has enlisted in the United States Navy Reserves. Reminiscing on all those memories made me realize how much we take for granted.
We go through life so busy with everything going on that we forget to cherish the things important in our lives. We forget to stop and really let the moment sink in.
Take a moment to remind someone close to you how much they mean to you. Slow down and enjoy the moments you spend with them.
Live. Love. Laugh.
—
Sidney.
