“Tell me what it is that you wish to do with your one wild and precious life”….
She knew she had always wanted to be a mother. From the time she was 17 Sarah carried around a midwifery book and leafed through it again and again. Pages one through 67 had been visited so many times that they now have to be delicately put back into order between the covers from time to time. The book was well loved. And held dreams of her future. From the time she was little, Sarah knew that she was meant to be a mom.
Nine months after their wedding, Sarah and Mike found out that they were expecting. Sarah’s favourite book became a daily read as they planned to have their baby at home. They did everything in their power to bring on the labour, but two weeks past the due date nothing was working. The night before being induced, Sarah laid in bed and willed her body to go into labour. She had wanted so much to be in her own home and have control over the birth and had always pictured it a certain way. This was not how she had hoped things would happen. But the next morning as she was being induced, she accepted the situation. All that mattered was that her beautiful baby would be here soon and she quickly became excited. As the labour escalated Sarah became so focused on doing things naturally that she could only think about the contractions. When Lilah was placed on her chest she just kept saying “it’s a baby” over and over again. And all Mike could say was “Of course it’s a baby, what else would it be?”. Sarah had been so focused on the pushing that she forgot the purpose to all of the pain. And as they looked down at the beautiful face looking back at them, there was no denying that her name would be Lilah. It just fit. And in that moment Sarah knew that there was nothing better suited to her in life than being a mom. It is the thing she was meant to do with her one wild and precious life….
I sometimes ask our clients to tell me something that is unique to only them. That maybe isn’t social pop culture or something that anyone else would know about or understand. Something that makes them them. When Sarah shared the quote from the beginning of this post with me I sat in silence for a minute. I am English major and have been lucky enough to read millions of lines of poetry and prose. But this one line I’d never heard before. And it hit me like a bag of bricks. And in getting to know Sarah I know that she is doing EXACTLY what she is supposed to in her life. A natural light photographer from the Sarnia/Petrolia area, she owns Sarah Graham Photography and has a calling to be surrounded by and work with kids. Her maternity and baby sessions almost make me want to be pregnant again because they are so moving and touching. And mom, I said almost, don’t get any ideas. I can always feel the connection between Sarah and her subjects in every single session she does. Sarah, I feel truly blessed that you’ve come into our lives and we feel very lucky to have documented a slice of yours with your family. Thank you so much for being honest and pure and real and reminding us to be thankful for where we are in our own wild and precious life.
- Brianna (photos by Ewan) (quote from Mary Oliver “The Summer Day”)
by Brianna
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