archived posts
Thursday, March 6, 2008 by Karen Walrond
Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.
-- Mother Teresa
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Happy Love Thursday! Please leave your links to your images of love in the comments section below -- and don't miss the beautiful images by marycalissa, Hippyhappyhay, and Fanglord2 from our Flickr pool.
Here's wishing each of you wonderful, warm smiles today.
Thursday, February 28, 2008 by Karen Walrond 
There's something I love about an image of a man caring for a young child. And it's not just pictures of my husband with our daughter, either. I think it has something to do with the fact that often men are expected to be strong, stoic, and capable of subduing any signs of vulnerability -- so when I see a man being particularly tender or attentive with a child, I feel like I've been let in on a little secret.
The photograph above was taken this past weekend: a friend asked me to take pictures of her young daughters. We met at a park, and I was so happy that her husband, B, decided to join us. With the aid of my long 70-200mm lens, I was able to capture this special moment between daddy and daughter. Thanks, B, for letting me in on the secret.
Happy Love Thursday, everyone. Please leave your links of images of love in the comments section, below -- and for inspiration, please check out the lovely image by Addicted to Coke left in the Shutter Sisters Flickr Pool.
And may you witness a tiny, secret moment of love today.
Thursday, February 21, 2008 by Karen Walrond 
On Sunday night, our family had a little scare: Alex wasn't herself all day, sort of just tired and lethargic. At the end of the day, we finally decided to call her pediatrician on call -- and soon after, found ourselves in the emergency room, with Alex on a nebulizer. Turns out she was having her first asthma attack, resulting from pneumonia we didn't know she had.
I remember a moment in the emergency room, watching Alex's limp body finally sleeping, at about 1 a.m. And I remember irrationally thinking: "I shouldn't have become a mother. I can't take this. I can't watch this. I'm not strong enough." Of course, immediately afterwards, I remember saying to myself, "Don't be an ass, Karen. She's going to be fine. What's the matter with you? In the grand scheme of things, this is nothing. And if this was something truly life-threatening, of course you'd be strong enough. You'd take a deep breath, and you'd deal. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MOTHERS DO."
Of course, everything is fine now, and all of us are breathing easier. And I think back to that night, I'm sort of shocked by the intense fear I was experiencing, motivated by intense love. Who would've thought five years ago I was going to be a mom, let alone love this little kid with the ferocity that I do? And boy, how I do.
Happy Love Thursday, everyone. Please leave your links of love in the comments below -- and be sure to check out the photos left in the Shutter Sisters Flickr Pool by keeper of the chocolates and tonyapoole for inspiration.
And may be you bowled over by the love you feel today.
Monday, February 18, 2008 by Kate Inglis 
The husband, too often, is trumped by sons and daughters. Conversation is reduced to tokens of business such as
Hello. We got another power bill and did you remember to pick up more milk and I forgot to take out the recycling again and that cheese isn’t supposed to be blue and watch out, that’s a poopy sock. Goodnight.
Bleary-eyed we stagger through parenthood, aware of each other only peripherally. In front of the camera he exists as child-carrier, slide-catcher and armpit-tickler, captured in bits and pieces alongside headlining cereal-splattered cheeks and tricycle prowess.
I’m still in a state of shock that, with a baby and a toddler in the house, a marriage with this man takes effort—effort in the way of just remembering to just be with each other and laugh, and talk, and look at each other straight in the eyes, the way we used to.
This photo is who Justin was, before. May I be so bold? RAWR.
And after? There is none yet. Not of this classic magnitude. But there will be. Post-Valentine, I’m determined: a portrait of him as himself, rather than as child-prop.
Want to join me?
Peel your camera away from the kids. Introduce us to yours, and tell us about him (or her)—the before, or the after—just your partner, no one else. Share a picture of what made (and makes) you love: a stance, a grin. Or the way he wraps his hand around the paddle of a canoe, an extension of his arm, as natural as if he were born to this place.
Thursday, February 14, 2008 by Karen Walrond 
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
An admission: historically, I've always rather disliked Valentine's Day, ever since I was a gawky tween, all knees and teeth, and the only person in class who didn't receive a Valentine. Even now, as someone who is in a happy and loving marriage, Valentine's Day still makes me uneasy: what's with all the jewelry ads on television? The pressure to come up with the perfect gift? The sheer commercialization of love? I mean, granted, Valentine's Day is sort of a Hallmark Holiday, and it's certainly nice to be the recipient of such things, but is that really the only way to express love?
I say no. Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to celebrate Valentine's Day a little differently this year:
Today, Valentine's Day, in addition to making sure my husband and daughter know how much they're loved, I'm going to challenge myself commit a random act of love today. It may not be overwhelming or grandiose; in fact, often the best acts of love aren't. Perhaps I'll send a note or an e-mail to someone with whom I haven't spoken in a while, telling them I'm thinking of them. Or maybe I'll buy a small grocery-store bouquet of flowers and leave them anonymously on someone's doorstep. Or maybe I'll leave a Love Note to my city in some random location. Who knows? But I think I want to do something love-ly. Take Valentine's Day back to what it's all supposed to mean.
Of course, you can feel free to join me. :)
Anyway, Valentine's Day aside, Happy Love Thursday! Please leave your links to your images of love in the comments below (and be sure to check out the beautiful work of camera shy momma, iyoyome, and nicky thomas and their depictions of love).
And most sincerely, may your hearts be FILLED with love today, on this special, Valentine's Love Thursday Day!
