A "Sunny" Celebration

I was blessed to witness the celebration of a wonderful life last week. Sunny was a loving wife with a twinkle in her eye. She was adored by her family, her friends, and all that were fortunate to be touched by her - and she left us all too soon. I am lucky to be close friends with her son and his wife, and, because they are like family to me, I was blessed to know her.

I had the honor of photographing her funeral - a first for me. I wasn't sure how people would react to a photographer at a funeral. I guarantee that some must have been surprised to see me there. But, when I arrived at their beautiful home, I started to notice something. Amidst all the beautiful antiques and exquisitely decorated rooms were images of her family. Some were ones I photographed over the years, some were in paintings that a relative created, and others were those taken from many years past. To her, these images were more valuable than anything she owned. When her precious grandchildren couldn’t be with her, she had their images near her at every turn. These pictures comforted her and brought her joy.

At the end of what we hope is a full life, many funeral services include a slideshow - snapshots of happy times and memories of who we were. And this was the case for Sunny as well. There were the friendships (and the Gainesville Girls!), her childhood, the courtship and wedding with the love of her life, the images of a mother, the campaigns with her husband, the days as a teacher, and the fun times along the way. Not to diminish the material things we earn and are lucky to enjoy during our time here, but the things that matter most are the memories we create and the joy we bring to another. These images, whether from a professional or just fun snapshots, are truly priceless.

I was honored to help capture those memories for her over the past few years. I hope the images I created brought her joy. She touched my life and work in a way few will understand, but I will always look at certain images I create and say, "Now, Sunny would love this one!"

Much like those pictures throughout the home, I believe that the images I captured at the funeral will help comfort the family. It will help them see some of the over 400 people who paid their respects. It will help them see the the impact of her life.