In this post, I share with you my client’s story. She shared this in my private Facebook group so that other ladies could catch a glimpse into her WHY!
Here she is…….
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I had my first shoot with Maura 6 years ago. At the time, my marriage was failing, and I had made myself so small that I was really struggling with my self-worth. That first session was empowering and encouraging, and I still love those photos, but it feels like me from a different life.
A year later my marriage imploded and a year after that I finally left. I had to cry to my new landlord so they would lease to me, maxed out my credit cards to buy what I needed, and crossed my fingers. It was scary, but I’m also lucky. I have a great support system and it turns out my ex and I get along better as exes. I got remarried last August and, to be honest, even when it’s great it’s been scary too. I’m still working on healing myself. Years of small traumas led to lots of unhealthy emotional coping. I struggle with not just the emotional side of things, but chronic physical pain too. I’m more accepting of how I look than I used to be, but the function of my body is frustrating. When Maura sent me my first sneak peek this time my immediate reaction was, “That’s not me. I don’t look that good.” But I do. That IS me. My body is a good body. She is a strong body. She has created two amazing children. She has been to hell and back. She deserves the same love and respect that I give to everyone around me.
When asked about the what/why for my shoot, I said, “Me. This day is for me.” I needed to remember that I existed. Just as me. For me. It’s why I encourage everyone I know (and even people I don’t) to step outside of their comfort zone and book a shoot. Not for anyone else or for any other reason than to see yourself through Maura’s lens. Maura is hands-down the best hype woman out there, but it was in the quieter moments with her, when she listened to me talk about how things have been hard… how they’ve gotten better… how they’ve sometimes been hard again… that her love for what she does and the people she works with truly shone through. I’m so grateful for the way that she captures us all, for the strength and beauty that she reflects back to us so that we can see what we’ve been missing in ourselves. Thank you isn’t enough, Maura.
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