Learning To Give Back

I recently developed a great love for photography. I freely admit that the main reason is because I want to beautifully document our lives, my sons growing up, our family memories and special events. I’m a beginner in this craft, but it’s a worthy goal to want to excel at something that can bring a lot of happiness to many, so I plan to keep at it, practice and study. I also simply love it.

There is another reason for my interest in photography that I don’t really share much, because it’s rather personal. It’s actually something that really touched my heart when I first learned about it: the discovery that photographers are using their skill to bless others who can’t afford to hire a photographer but need one- specifically, photographers are volunteering their skills for children who have terminal cancer and families who are not going to ever be able to bring their newborn baby home. Learning about this wonderful gift they are giving families, a photographic memory of a loved one who won’t be around much longer, instilled a sense of urgency in me to want to help, and become a skilled photographer so I can capture something important for those who have very little time left but no means to get it.

Organizations like Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, which help connect experienced photographers with parents who are facing the loss of a baby, are providing a service that can help assuage some of the pain they are suffering. Other similar charities are The Maple Leaf Project and The Smiling Eyes Project, which focus on terminal cancer patients, military families, and more. All require that the photographer excel, with at least three years experience, because these families deserve nothing less for a memento of their loved one.

I help out my community in other ways as well, by volunteering at church and community events and donating to organizations that are special to me. My husband and I used to be volunteer EMTs but as our lives changed, the ways in which we give back have also, and I have a soft spot for children’s charities, so organizations such as these are very important to me. I’m learning, because I want to give back.

Brand Statement: Kleenex brand, America’s softest tissue*, knows that once one experiences the softness of Kleenex brand tissues, they will be eager to share it with other cold and flu sufferers, friends and strangers alike, as a way to show they care. This cold and flu season, make the care complete with a Kleenex Brand Care Pack, and together we’ll turn a seemingly-small gesture into something bigger, to make everyone feel better. Visit kleenex.com/softness to learn more.

Compensation was provided by Kleenex via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Kleenex.

*photo of my son taken with iPhone, not representative of above organizations

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