Shirley and Mondays with Mac Visit Sudbury

This morning, at what felt like far too early of an hour for a vacation day, I was in the car driving Mac to Tim Horton's. I told him we were going so he could get a bagel. But, really, I needed the coffee. The radio was set to our local Ottawa station, Hot 89.9, and psychic medium Blair Robertson was on the air answering questions. Usually people ask about their futures. When will I meet my mate? Will I get pregnant? Will I get a promotion? But today most the callers were focussed on the past. Each one wanting to connect with a loved one on the other side. He offers them words that seem to comfort them. Many of them just wanting confirmation for what they already think they know.  But knowing that you know something is far different than thinking it. And third party confirmation is always helpful. Then he offers some comments that seem to be directed at everyone instead of just the person on the other end of the phone line. Love never dies, he says, it's the topic of his next book. Once someone loves you that love doesn't just go away. Ever. They are around you. Maybe not every millisecond of the day. But sometimes. When you need it. 

And that makes me smile. Because we've been talking a lot about Shirley lately. You remember
Shirley don't you? My late Mother-in-law. Who is not really late for anything. That's a strange expression. She's early, really. Early to be gone from this world. But we talk about her. A lot. And she's here. Kinda. If you are new here you can start with THIS post. And then, if you want, there are more posts HERE. 

I'm grateful that I at least got to know Shirley before she passed. I'm grateful that when my wife speaks about her I can imagine her moving, laughing, being silly and saying things that don't always make perfect sense, except to her, while chopping up vegetables in the kitchen. Shirley signed her name with a smiley face every single time. It was so uniquely her that a smiley face even ended up on her tombstone. I'm not kidding.

Last year we decided to take this huge leap. We started a photography company. And we invested tens of thousands of dollars into it. And jumped with both feet into a very over saturated market. Without really knowing if we could do it. And along the way we've had moments of OMG what are we doing? And hey! Check us out! We are TOTALLY doing this. Like, for real. And as time passes it's so much more of the latter and so much less of the former.

As we travel from Ottawa to Sudbury I am so excited to shoot an engagement session and a sold out set of mini family shoots in my hometown.

Josh and Lisa's engagement shoot goes well and I'm starting relax and get excited for the day of mini shoots on Sunday. Until I look at the weather and realize they are calling for non-stop rain. And that's when the self doubt kicks in. What are we thinking starting this business? I can't reschedule photo shoots in Sudbury when I don't live here. We're going to disappoint all the people. 

So we are having that kind of a discussion when we head to the Tim Horton's drive through. And our coffees land in our hands with a little message.

Relax girls. She's telling us. I got this.

And she does.

It threatens to rain all morning. But it holds off.

There are also photos of this family where everyone is looking at the camera. But this is more indicative of their shoot in general. And I'm always a fan of real. 

This is how I imagine life with four kids would be like. 

The sky is grey but it's not until our last morning session of the morning that it starts to come down. We manage to do half the shoot outside in the open air and half of it inside a small gazebo. And that all works out fine. 

The family who booked immediately after lunch had already cancelled a few days earlier. We decided that instead of booking a new family during that time we would just take a long lunch and enjoy a warm meal while my parents are busy wrangling our toddler elsewhere. 

And that was a really smart plan because it rains all through lunch and through what would have been the cancelled shoot. We are watching out the window, hoping and praying that the rain clears up. And then our bill comes. 

We laugh. And watch as the sky turns from grey to blue and the rain stops. 

We breeze through the rest of the afternoon with a gorgeous post rain sky. 

The day ends and we are packing up our gear and Tracy turns to me and says "I can't believe Shirley pulled that off."


I sometimes feel like I missed out by not having Shirley in my life for very long. I don't have those oh my meddling mother-in-law stories that some people have. And then I remember that I kinda do. She meddles a little here and there in her own way.  And Blair Robertson is right. I think. Love never really does die. Because she's still here. Maybe not every millisecond of the day. But sometimes. When we need it.