The sweet sound of the joyful and innocent laughter of children. Dancing in the sun, surrounded by thousands of blooming flowers. Their giggles and happy smiles, a moment forever frozen in time. These two sweet little girls don't know it now, but in the blink of an eye, they will be grown, and this will be only a fleeting memory. The bond they share though, that will last forever.
A sister is the first best friend a girl has as a child. A sister is there from the very beginning, and they fill each other's lives with love from the start. They are the first play mates for hide and seek, the first partners to dance with, the first "twin" to dress alike with. They're also the first ones to argue with, to fight over toys with, the first ones to test patience and learn the value of forgiveness. How do I know? I have sisters too. I share another similarity to these sweet girls, I too have an angel sister that watches over my family and I.
These two sweet little girls love each other as all sisters do, but they also share a love of the sister they never truly got the chance to know. Their sister, Dori, watches over them and loves them from heaven. Taken far too soon from her loved ones, she left this world as a sweet baby. While she is not here to play with them in person, her memory is alive in the minds of those who love her. She lives in their laughter as they play. She lives in their smiles as they tell jokes. She lives in their dancing, in their frolicking. She lives in their beautiful faces. She lives in their carefree and joyous lives. Those we love are never gone from us as long as we live and remember them.
I loved every minute of this sweet photo shoot with these two little girls. I loved the silly faces Vivian made at her dad as he stood watching. I loved the sweet and loving hugs the two little girls shared all on their own at random. I loved the way Emily held her sister and gladly accepted some soft sisterly kisses on the cheek. I loved being able to share in this fleeting moment in time, because all too soon these two sweet little girls will be teenagers. I'm sure with that there will be some days that they still love and adore each other, and there will probably be some days that they don't. My hope for these two, and for all sisters, is that they always remember their roots. I hope that in keeping Dori's memory alive, they never forget how fragile and unpredictable life is.
Sharing this session with Emily and Vivian in the magical Spring blooms of Keithan's gardens, is one of those wonderful perks of my "job" that I always enjoy. The flooding of memories of my own childhood with my sisters, and the appreciation of the bonds we share now, are brought to the front when I see little girls growing up together like these two. Not everyday of being sisters will be easy, fun, and wonderful for these two, especially as the years fly by and they reach their teenage years. They will certainly share fights and disagree, borrow each other's clothes without asking, and the usual issues siblings deal with. My hope for Emily and Vivian is that at the end of the day, they cling to the love they share for one another, and that their love will be stronger and shine brighter than any quarrels that may arise.
Tomorrow is never promised to any of us, so be sure to embrace today and not only tell the ones you love, that you do love them, but be sure to show them as well.
