Behind the Lens: The Beauty of Emotion

I held him in my arms, such a small bundle of wonderfulness, and dreaded the inevitable. I handed him to his daddy, kissed his forehead and then turned to my sister. Immediately the tears started to flow. I embraced her tightly, told her that I loved her and said, ‘You can do this.‘ Motherhood that is. With the corners of my eyes brimming, ready to spill over and send salty water running down my cheeks, I said goodbye and headed to the car.

The whole way to the airport I could feel the sting of salty-ness in my eyes and it reminded me of how much my heart ached. “Why do you think women have so much emotion?,” my dad asked me, not trying to be insensitive but truly wondering. “I think it’s because otherwise no one would have a heart,” I joked with him. 

It got me thinking though…about emotion. It can’t really be explained and sometimes it feels like it can’t be controlled. It’s God-given and I think it’s a characteristic that reflects Him. Emotion is such an interesting phenomenon as it gives life so much depth, both good and hard. Sweet and sorrowful. 

It overtakes you, often without a warning, and won’t let you go until it has completed its work. It brings moments of tear-filled joy. Tear-filled sorrow. Bursts of laugher. Bursts of despair.

Though there are times when I wish those ‘feelings’ would just dissipate, my question is what would the world be like without emotion? It would be cold. Robotic. Unfeeling. Destitute. Desperate. It would be lifeless. 

Yes, emotion gives life. It  sets us apart from the rest of creation and crowns us the chief of God’s masterpiece. It is beautiful…in every way.

As I consider the purpose and place of emotion in the world, I am reminded of something very sweet. You see, I get to spend my days capturing the very thing that makes life precious. Emotion.

It’s the foundation of this thing I call a career. It is what drives me creatively and relationally in my business. I can only hope that ten years from now, whether I am still holding a camera in my hand or not, I can look back and see that I did just that. I spent my life and my talents cherishing the emotions that makes us human.

Happy Friday!

Molly Bender - May 1, 2013 - 1:18 pm

What a beautiful post, Mary! I love your perspective… your passion for others truly makes a difference in your work. If you ever have work in NYC, get in touch with me because you totally have a place to stay. 🙂

Amy - May 2, 2013 - 6:32 pm

My favorite post of all time. You are an excellent writer, photographer, and artist! Love your work!

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