As most of you know, my best friend, Kathy, passed away on January 29 from cancer. I wanted to write something on the blog when she passed away but found I just couldn't do it. Today would have been her 43rd birthday, and she was the first thing I thought about when I woke up this morning.
There's no denying that I miss her. I miss asking her if she’s heard George Strait’s new song on the radio. I miss telling her about the book The Glass Castle and how it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. When the movie Something Borrowed came out I missed calling her to see when she could go see it with me and how we would surely discuss whether or not it was as good as the book. I miss e-mailing her to see what day is going to work for her so we can meet for lunch at Jalapeno’s. I miss telling her that I’ll save my People magazine for her because she has to see the photos from Kim Kardashian’s wedding. I miss recapping our weekends even when neither of us did anything exciting. Somehow telling each other that we went to church or to the grocery store made it seem like we really did do something.
While we were on our way to Montana, I was thumbing through the SkyMiles catalog on the plane and saw a bracelet engraved with the words "Love You More" on it. That made me think about the day I went to see her after she was sent home from Vanderbilt and told there was nothing else that could be done to help her. She was still really coherent at the time and sitting in her favorite red chair in the living room. I got ready to leave and told her that I loved her, and she looked up at me and said, "Love you more." The more I thought about it, "Love you more," was really the last thing I remember her saying to me. So last week I went to Things Remembered and got a bracelet and had "Love You More" engraved on it. I wear it on my left wrist because being left handed was just another thing we had in common.
Kathy knew I’d always loved taking pictures but if it hadn’t been for her I’m not sure I would’ve ever been able to pursue photography full-time. She had a friend who was getting married at her church and needed a photographer, so she asked me if I’d be willing to take the pictures at the wedding. I said yes only because she said she would help me. I was a little braver with her by my side. Kathy helped me with several weddings over the next few years. In typical Kathy style, she helped keep me organized and calm, even if the bride was running an hour late. Even after her first bout with cancer she came back the following year to help me again, and I was thrilled. To this day, I never photograph a wedding without thinking about her.
This is my favorite pictures of her. She would always pose for test shots at weddings and would usually make silly faces. This time she didn't, and I always kept this photo of her because I loved it so much.
My "Love You More" bracelet.
Besides keeping me on track at weddings, she also took a few pictures herself. These are some of my favorites of hers.
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