At the end of March, on Friday March 30th to be exact, I sat confidently outside Gate 25 at the Reagan National Airport awaiting the boarding of my flight to Albany, NY.  It was around 1pm, and I was dutifully two hours early for my flight.  My boarding pass that I had just printed said Gate 25, and it was Gate 25 where I planted myself.  And I watched people come and go.  And I played upon my phone.  And I got myself some lunch.  And I spilled my soda.  And I sat.

And then I heard an announcement:  ”This is the final boarding call for Flight XXXX to Albany NY.  If you are a ticketed passenger, please report to Gate 42.”

Oh my, I thought, that’s me.  Better go.

And then I realized.  I’m at Gate 25.  Which is in Terminal 2.  Gate 42 is in Terminal 3.  A long long long LONG way away.  Through additional security too.

But I tried.  I ran and ran.  I talked my way to the front of the security line.  I got through security as quickly as I could.  But at Gate 42, there was no denying.  My plane had left.

So, I got in a really really really REALLY long line and waited.  The man behind the counter peered at me over his spectacles and said, “The next flight to Albany is at 10pm.  I’ve ticketed you for that flight.  You’ll need to go to Gate 26 in Terminal 2 and wait.  Please don’t miss this one.”

Noted.

So, I packed up my gear AGAIN and traversed the expanse between Terminal 3 and Terminal 2, went through security AGAIN, and found myself a nice resting place for five hours.  FIVE LONG HOURS.

And as I’m sitting there, and it’s approaching 8pm, it dawns on me that I seem to recall that one of the servicemembers whom I photographed last year for OperationLove was returning to the States today.  Quickly, I called his wife on her cell and she confirmed, yes, he’s returning TONIGHT, to Reagan National at 9:30PM!  I’m so excited I can barely stand it.  I can photograph the reunion!!  How fortuitous!  There was a reason I missed my flight that didn’t involve the other plane going down in flames while I continue to live!  Yay!  She tells me his flight number and airline, and I tell her, I’ll find you.

I checked his flight.  On Time.  I checked his gate.  Gate 19.  Whew.  That HAS to be close to Gate 26.  Right?  RIGHT???

No.

Gate 19 is in TERMINAL 1.  The one terminal I haven’t yet visited on this long LONG day.

I look across through the window and peer at the numbers on the open gates and see that Gate 19 is directly across from me.  I can see when his plane arrives.  But he is there, and I am here.  In Terminal 2, at Gate 26.  Boarding at 9:30pm.  What time is his arrival?  Of course.  9:30pm.

Well, this story is getting long LONG, and I’m sure you just want to know how this all ends.  Let me just say it involved two fast LONG runs between Terminal 2 and Terminal 1 with a camera bag, a rolley-bag, and a purse, one very out-of-breath photographer boarding her flight at the VERY last minute while still in her socks having gone through security for the FIFTH time that day.  And yes, a happy ending.  Both for this family, and for my landing in Albany.

I love you guys.  I don’t do this for just anyone, you know.

xo

A

P.S.  All images shot on my Fuji X100 as that was the only camera I had with me, and when I left my house at noon that day, I had no idea I’d be doing an OpLove session at 9:30pm or that I would STILL be at the airport.  All in all, it was a great day.

Every time I do one of these sessions, I meet the most incredible people and families. People who sacrifice for our country. Families who sacrifice for our country. They sacrifice for me. And for you. And for our FREEDOM. Doing these sessions is the least I can do as a genuine heartfelt “Thanks.”

And now I want you to meet Major B and his family.

But before you do, you need to know that this is Major B’s third deployment.

Yep, THIRD.

He has already served one year in Afghanistan and one year in Iraq.

I cannot tell you where he is headed now (I know where, I just cannot tell you).

But if you’re the praying kind, prayers are always appreciated.

When I arrived to do this session, everyone was dressed very formally.

Though this is usually not my style, it is what the family wanted, and in OpLove sessions, I do what the family wants.

We took some very beautiful family portraits.

Ones that I know they will treasure for years.

And in between those images, I took a few of those shots that I love to take. The family in action.

Living.

Laughing.

Loving.

A family.

And then I heard by happenstance as our session was ending

that tall stoic Major B would be playing guitar and singing

at his “going away” at a local pub that evening.

Immediately, I knew I had to go.

Come, meet the man behind the uniform.

The cowboy-hat-and-jeans-wearing man.

He hangs out with friends.

Oh, how he laughs.

And smiles.

And sings Johnny Cash like you wouldn’t believe.

The loving father places his cowboy hat upon his daughter’s head.

And dances the unicorn.

And there, a son, trying to fill daddy’s hat.

Within every soldier in uniform is the person himself.

He (or she) isn’t just a number, another troop sent overseas.

He is a living breathing person with a family who loves him dearly.

This husband/father may be gone for the next year, but his presence is everywhere.

Lingering yet oh so missed.

THANK.

YOU.

Love you guys.

xo

A

SURPRISE!

is this not the.best.necklace.ever??!

it came with the sweetest note from a client.

and not just any client,

but one of my OperationLove clients.

a client who, along with her two little boys,

said goodbye to her husband, and their daddy,

in December as he boarded a plane bound for service overseas.

their session will be blogged on Valentine’s Day,

for reasons to be explained later.

but until then,

from the bottom of my heart…

thank you.

thank you for the gorgeous necklace,

and most importantly, thank you for your thoughtfulness

in the midst of the ultimate sacrifice of your family and YOUR service.

love you,

Aileen

imagine my excitement when i received the email from the mom the first week of January, “Aileen, Major O comes home this weekend.  He gets into BWI at 7am on Saturday, arriving from Iraq through Germany.  We hope you can make it.”  ABSOLUTELY.

wow.  homecomings are just incredible.

waiting….

more waiting…

mom gets the text… he’s in customs.  long lines….

and there he is!!

kids first.

and then mom.

i just LOVE the girls looks on their faces in these next two images as they look at their mom and dad….

Daddy’s home.

i love you guys.

thank you Captain O for your service to our country.

thank you.

and not 3 minutes later, another family awaits and reunites….

Home.

what a great feeling.

have a great weekend.  i’ll see you on Monday.

xo

A

p.s. square format images shot on my Hasselblad with Kodak Portra 400.  black and white images were shot on my Nikon F100 with Kodak BW400CN.  all other images shot on my D300.

while we were walking, the mom spotted this spider web right off the trail we were on.

the lines hook up just so and go around and around.

isn’t it glorious perfection?

the amount of work this must have taken.

and the proud owner sits in the middle waiting for his (or her) dinner to arrive.

the sun hit the web just so,

and well,

wow.

and now as i sit here thinking about my past week, not only in my life, but in those who are close to me and those i’ve met along the way, i look at this web as a representation of life.

wherever you are in the middle of your own life, circles run around you, linking to another.

there are highs and lows.  broken connections.  repairs made.

a line across what seems to be an impossible distance.

or perhaps that’s not individuals in the midst of their own intricate webs, but that is a higher power in the middle with the rest of us all circling and linking.

who knows.

this is what i do know.

today, a father of two prepares to leave for an unknown land, not quite knowing when he will return.

one week ago, a friend said goodbye to his 21 year old nephew as the young marine headed off to war in afghanistan.

last week, a friend of mine, father of 3 girls, summited mt. hood, oregon.

today, in northern virginia, a pregnant mother prepares to deliver her 24-week-old baby, knowing the baby will not survive outside the womb.*

a couple weeks ago, a close friend qualified for the boston marathon.  she is the mother of 3.

less than a week ago, a friend who is fighting stage IV breast cancer with two tumors in her lungs discovered that she has 20 plus tumors in her brain.  radiation has already started.  she has 4 young children.

on saturday, i shot at a wedding, two people in love joining together.

every day 4.2 million gallons of oil are being pumped into the gulf.

and on sunday, father’s day, i met this father who was also celebrating his 7th wedding anniversary, as he and his family also prepare to say goodbye.

deployment is in a matter of days.

life.

it goes on.

and on.

love.

births.

struggles.

challenges.

and yet, people continue to get married.

continue to have babies.

continue to live.

continue to hope.

where do you find yours?

i want to know.

xo

A

*i also volunteer for Now I Law Me Down To Sleep, a non-profit organization of photographers who volunteer their services to parents who are suffering or about to suffer the loss of an infant.

**i’m working on a personal project that i would love your help with.  hope and encouragement.  where do you look for that?  where do you find your strength?  what helps you?  what inspires you to “keep on keeping on”?  thanks much. xo A