I draw strength.

I draw strength from my mother's smile and the twinkle in her eyes.  As of late, it is not uncommon for both to be absent, but occasionally I catch a glimpse and when I do, I try to capture it on photo.  Today I celebrate the beauty of my mother's smile and the way in which it keeps me going when things seem too hard to handle.  Here are a few photos from the past couple of months:

I think I bored her with all of my photo taking!

Playing it cool.

Sharing kisses.

This photo is particularly meaningful.  My mom hasn't cried with me in months.  She hasn't really registered who I am much lately.  But last Friday, she knew who I was.  She looked me in the eyes, and we both cried together.  She told me she loved me to the sky and back.