our souls are written in our eyes.
- author unknown

yesterday, i had the great honor of photographing max again...and his siblings.

shortly after i left my house for the session, i realized i forgot my cell phone but already running late, i decided to just keep going. i had hoped that the mikulaks didn't need to get in touch with me. but they did. max was having pain in his legs and they had to turn around to get him some pain medication. so they arrived late. of course, i had waited for them. i think i would have waited an hour for them. maybe more. and when they arrived, they apologized to me. i thought,

are you crazy. don't you dare apologize to me. it's my fault. i forgot my phone.

i didn't want them to feel bad. i didn't want them to apologize. i just want them to take care of max. that was the only thing that was important.

then i see max get out of the car and i'm a little startled. startled at how different he looks since the last time i saw him. now with no hair and paler. startled and saddened b/c i want him to be done with the disease. damn it, his battle should be won already!

but then it happens...with a sparkle in his eyes, max looks at me and smiles and he all of a sudden looks exactly the same. i don't see a bald little boy standing in front of me anymore. i just see the same ole max. i see his spirited, wonderful soul shining through his eyes and he is exactly the same. if we all could have just a little of his soul, this world would be a better place. he's one special little guy and i'm so lucky to be able to experience even the smallest bit of him.



and max...well, max thinks i'm the funniest person ever. my secret. boo. i say boo from behind my camera and max laughs hysterically. not sure i say it any different than anyone else but it sure makes max laugh. and b/c max laughs, his siblings do too (they either think i'm funny...or crazy). photographing siblings together in one shot can sometimes be challenging but not with max as a brother. he made my job easy.



then i promised max that at the end of our session, he could take a picture. and i kept my promise. and here's his picture. the every day, real deal me. i didn't crop the photo or even touch it up (much) b/c i think what max captured is special just b/c of that...he took it. i'm usually not comfortable with photos of myself but...hey, sometimes you just have to be brave. and if there's anything that max has taught me it's being brave. and full of life.



lastly, after max's session, i looked up in the sky and saw an angel. i can't help to think that that's what the clouds were forming. my friend, steph, said...of course you saw an angel; look what session you just did. and...i believe angels are watching over max and maybe they were even watching over me yesterday to make sure i was able to give the family something special.



this...giving back with my photography is what it's really all about. i was given this gift to photograph. and this is why.

to the mikulak family. thank you. thank you for allowing me to experience a bit of max and the joy that he brings to this world. i am a better person b/c of him...b/c of you guys.

you can read more about max on his blog here