Smiling Eyes

I'd like to use this post to introduce a great project I've recently become a part of...

The Smiling Eyes Project is a group of professional photographers donating their time and talent to photograph people/families dealing with cancer. Christine Kufske, an amazing photographer from Kitchener, started Smiling Eyes four years ago and from then it has grown to a team of 19 photographers all donating up to two shoots a month to those fighting cancer. I'm now on board and so looking forward to the journey.

On this day, four years ago I lost my stepfather to cancer. My mother lost her husband. My boys lost their grampa (a grampa one never had the chance to meet) and many others lost a friend. It was less that two months from the time we found out what we were facing to the time we said our final goodbyes. That time was too short. My oldest son Quincy was only six months at the time so he unfortunately will not remember spending time with his grampa. All I can do now is keep his memory alive in the minds of our boys through stories and pictures. This is why photographs are so important. I so wish we had more pictures of him. I regret not taking some even in those last weeks. Pictures of Quincy with his grampa so he see the smile on his grampa's face when they were together.

I want to give this gift to other families, not only to preserve memories but to make them. I want to give people dealing with this awful disease memories of a fun hour or two spent doing something other than dealing with reality. A well deserved break.

If you know anyone who might be interested in a Smiling Eyes shoot, please pass this along.