Laura and I became friends a few years ago. We were both really good friends with the late and great Trena, and it was through our friendship with her that we got to know each other. Trena would tell me stories of the dramatic adventures Laura and her sweetie Mark were on, and I grin and shake my head at the stories Trena must have told Laura about me. It’s only been in the last year that Laura and I have become closer, bonding over pregnancy stories, life in the city, and trying to cope with missing our dear friend Trena.
It’s been a hard year, watching Laura grow with life, while trying to cope with the loss of a best friend. I can only imagine what Laura and Mark are feeling, as they lost a mentor, a mother-figure, and one of the most reliable and dependable people they could count on.
And yeah, it can feel weird to read about death and loss while celebrating life and growth, but I think that’s what being a woman is about. We persevere. We push through. We thrive. And we remember. Laura has changed so much from the girl I knew only ten months ago. She has risen to the occasion, lifted her head up high, and settled in. Scared and afraid of change, yes, but willing to face it and embrace it. Change can be good. Change can be amazing.
There is fire in these pictures. There is memory and story and there is love. Remember that.
