The sun is shining, the ground is warming, the plants are blooming but its hard to feel 100% good right now.
When it comes to how I'm feeling, its pretty much the beginning of this writing by Mari Andrew:
You might also be thinking, what am I supposed to do with these shitty feelings about what's happening in Ukraine right now? Or anything that has happened these past couple years? Or about what's coming next? (like Joro spiders?)
All this pain and suffering as I wake to bird song and give my son's reluctant, sleepy face a coffee kiss. In this moment we are safe.
I feel better when I do something about injustice, which is why I want to raise money to help Ukrainian families. While the crisis is most imminent in Ukraine, there are people fighting to keep their homes and dignity world wide. Now through April 30th, I will donate 10% of each session fee to the International Rescue Committee. The only exclusion is that our session must take place in the DMV to qualify. I have been donating to the IRC for years and trust them to distribute funds where they are most greatly needed.
Bearing witness to families facing violent displacement and helping where we are able is important work. It's equally important to feel joy and gratitude for our own families. We must feel into what is good and makes our lives worth living if our freedom is to have real meaning and agency. Fundraising alongside our session pairs two powerful acts of repairing and growing humanity. We're connecting with others a world away as we strengthen our connection to the people who make our whole world.
"The fact that suffering, mundanity and beauty coexist is unbearable and remarkable."
It might sound a little out there, my belief in the transformative power of family photos. Just keep tuning in, I think you'll see it too. In the great mosaic that is our planet, the wholeness and beauty of our own tiny tile impacts the entire picture. I know without a doubt that children who seek human connection and understanding over asserting power or acquiring things will create a world with far fewer refugees. Their journey begins in your expansive love.
To book your spring session in the blossoms and beyond, click here.
