11/11/2024
This past week, I gave myself some time and space to reflect and grieve ā over the status of our country, the world, our species, about family, the environmentā¦all of it. And although my grief is still here, I wanted to share my thoughts with you all, as a woman, a business owner, a q***r person, and a photographer in an industry focused on celebrating love of all kinds. What I keep coming back to is the belief that despite taking two steps forward and one step back every election cycle, I do still believe we are inching (crawling, clawing) our way forward to a better world. Because if we werenāt getting closer, others who donāt want progress wouldnāt be fighting like hell to stop us.
I also firmly believe that diversity is really what makes our country beautiful even if others lose sight of that or refuse to accept it. Iām ājust one personā which makes it easy to feel completely hopeless, to feel like nothing I do can change the world. But what I do have is the ability to provide a safe, welcoming space for people of all colors, backgrounds, for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community, to celebrate love in scenic places.
Nature doesnāt judge or discriminate. We are of this earth more than we are of any āstateā or ānationā society creates. And in nature, borders donāt exist. Environments blend from one to another, making our planetās landscape so incredibly vast, diverse, beautiful, and fascinating.
Today, Iām imagining what our world would be like if we spent less time thinking of walls and borders, and more time building bridges and connections to our neighbors, our local communities, nourishing real personal relationships with each other and the earth. And maybe I canāt change the world, but I can start small, volunteer locally, and make a difference with the places and people around me. You can, too.
