My friend Lizzy is the shutterbug of the group. There's rarely a time when she doesn't have her camera or iPhone in hand or close within reach. When we walk together I can see her gazing off framing shots in her mind. She sees the world through her lens and when I'm on the other end of it I always feel held, seen and loved. This is me. It looks like me. It's everyday life. It's real and honest. We'd just been on a walk, taking photos of our pregnant friend, documenting the magic of her body during this time. This photo was a afterthought, it was me taking off my coat and following on the tails of another friend getting her photo made. It was the Lacy that my parents and family joke about, the one that says 'ok take my picture now.' Lizzy giggled as I stepped up and assumed the position. It's not the first time I've insisted my photo be taken. And it won't be the last :) You can see my hair all freshly cut and blown out. I felt pretty, I think you can see that too. Once a quarter or less I get a haircut and always leave with a blow out. I feel like a different person for a few days. It's always fun.
You can see my crows feet. Those are from my dad. I love his, I love mine.
You can see the crown on my front tooth. I tripped over a rock, fell and knocked out my tooth in a jump rope race in elementary school. The boy I liked pick me and my tooth up. Smart boy. The nurse had me put my tooth under my tongue and the dentist put it back in. Smart nurse. Thinking of it still makes me smile. I had a cast on my two front teeth while it healed and then it was years with a slowly dying and then dead tooth. A major hurdle for a young girl to worry about a yellow tooth. Later I got a veneer. That fell off when I was in college the week I was to meet my sisters serious boyfriend (now her husband and the papa of their first little one, Chloe). I tied the veneer back on with dental floss. It was hilarious, devastating to the ego and completely awesome.
You can see that one eye closes more than the other when I smile. That means I'm sincerely happy. Nothing forced about that smile.
You can see my sun spot on my cheek. Proof of hours spent luxuriating on the beach feeling the warmth of the sun on my face. Some of the moments when I've felt most alive were spent next to the ocean.
I look at this picture and see my beautiful self. I see the little girl who loved having her picture taken and still does as a woman. I see a girl who's happy. Face value, truly happy. I see a woman who's deeply loved and surrounded by beautiful people. This past Thanksgiving week I was given much to be grateful for. I felt loved and supported by old friends and new ones. For a little over a week I got to be in the mix of what's it's like to live in the village where real life happens and people show up for you in a really big way. This was my 4th trip to Boston and it was nothing short of miraculous. Every. Single. Trip. I've ever taken to Boston has been a life changer in the best of ways.
And I'm grateful. Thank you, Leigh for being the champion of good things in my life. So so many good things. Anytime I think Truth + Beauty I think of you. Thank you, Lizzy for these moments in pictures. Some of my favorite pictures of me you've taken.
Love, always love, Lacy
