A year ago I went to visit my good friend and fantastic photographer Aris Wells in Greensboro, North Carolina. I was going through a very turbulent time in my life that necessitated a withdrawal from my surroundings. I called Aris and told her I needed to get away….without hesitation she extended me an invitation to spend Thanksgiving with her family. I got on a plane and headed her way. She picked me up at the airport and as soon as I saw her I started to cry. I learned many things that weekend, about myself, about relationships, about families, and about my passion. The weather was mostly cold and gloomy, almost a complete reflection of how I felt. Yet, on one day, the sun came out….and it shone like a beacon in the darkness. I took this image on that day…the sun shining through a leafless tree, which, to the naked eye, appears dry and lifeless, but whose heart was still beating just waiting for Spring in order to blossom again….and Spring always comes after a fall.

Thank you ~ friends and clients ~ for continuously supporting me, cheering me on, and showing me immense patience and love throughout this year…I’m eternally grateful and honored. Thank you “mi amiga”, for taking me in when I most needed it, you may never know how much that small gesture impacted my life. Thank you God, for never leaving me, for always guiding me even when I didn’t want to listen and for always teaching me…thank you.

Sending you much love this day and always…. ♥ Vanessa