mimi

I know Devin from high school and today is her birthday. Mimi, Devin’s grandmother, left Terry a voicemail inviting us to her place to celebrate Devin. She scheduled the party early to accommodate for Oskar’s early bedtime which is both exceptionally kind and totally characteristic of her.

Mimi is an honorary grandmother to all of Jared and Devin’s friends. She always wears red lipstick and smells of wonderful perfume. She loves her dog Millie and is sure to light up a room with great questions and humor. I have always felt welcomed in Mimi’s presence and know her to be a very patient, appreciative, and supportive person.

One of the things I really love about this project is that when I am photographing people I already know, I get to see them in a new light. Mimi is no exception. Just before the close of the evening we went outside and took some pictures. After a few frames I ask Mimi about her childhood. At sixteen her mother tragically passed away. Whenever Mimi thought of her mother afterwards she would think of the final stages. One thing a therapist helped Mimi do is remember her mother for all the beauty and life that she was – on the beach under an umbrella. Mimi has learned to apply this perspective to many things in life and still thinks about her mother everyday.

[57] July 8, 2021