MORTALITY is the name of a series of photographs which I am making into books. I am determined that the images I love containing my family will not live and die in my computer.
This particular morning was wonderful. It was beautiful and cool. These cousins, Maya and Olive, had adventures in mind. Their mommies and grandparents took the time to walk behind or beside them.
This is a record of one beautiful morning on this earth.
The little cousins filled a bucket with apples from Grandpa’s orchard. They crossed Center Street with the Mommies’ help. The beautiful field has since been turned into a neighborhood of big houses. It is nice to remember how things used to be.
That is why we take photographs and treasure them.
Olive is fearless when it comes to animals, including horses. If we let her, she would be on the other side of the fence and knowing these horses, they would be just fine with that. She never met an animal she couldn’t kiss and hug and drag around.
Well, she can’t drag a horse around but manages to carry everything else.
Now to the field behind Grandpa’s house. These horses come running when they see children. They nuzzle and make soft noises and push each other around in order to get the sweet apples.
Maya and Olive love Grandpa.
He is always willing to stop what he is doing and play with them. He is quick to get apples from the trees and carrots from the garden. He loves the horses, too. He pets them and puts his arms around their strong necks. Children learn to trust animals by watching grown-ups and by having chances to be around them.
The horses love to watch the antics of children.
They watch them run and dance and hear them squeal. As long as the children don’t flail their hands around the horses heads, they are patient and stay at the fence until the last carrot is gone.
Mortality is about living life and remembering it.
It is about experiencing things and having joy. It is about taking all the time a child needs to feel happy and satisfied with the adventure. It is about grandparents and cousins and animals and nature. When you play with children, you should forget about the time.
Children don’t like to hurry.
Olive is especially brave.
She loves the horse’s slobbery mouth, its snorts and its soft nose. When she stands close, the horse nuzzles her hair with curiosity, smells her shirt and tickles her arms with his breath.
The carrots should come out of the ground easily now.
If they don’t, the children go for the pitchfork and struggle with it for a few minutes before they call for Grandpa. The result is a reminder of the bounty of the earth and all of the blessings of MORTALITY.
Four horses are in this field today. They push each other around in order to get the carrots and the apples. Maya is still shy about their big teeth. She is careful when she feeds them and sometimes needs encouragement to pet their velvet noses. When they sniff at her hair and snort at her shirt, she laughs and moves away. Her cousin Oli tells her that the horses are nice and won’t hurt her.
Maya would rather find out for herself.
Children have adventures because grown-ups take time.
Mommies are patient people and love these beautiful autumn days.
These sisters remember their own childhood adventures.
These are perfect days to store up memories of MORTALITY.
Grandma, that is beautiful! I wish I could spend more of my mortality with you. I love you so much!!