Annie

Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by the things going on in my own life, and I'm not gonna lie, this past year may have been the hardest one yet... and, as strong as I like to think I am, I know better. I recently spent the day with My Mom and her friend Annie, Annie is living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) I don't know if you know anything about the disease but it's a hateful disease, incurable and fatal. Als affects motor cell neurons, the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement. The muscles become weak and paralyzed. The first time I visited Annie, she didn't get out of her bed, her speech was slurred due to the deterioration of muscles, but she still chatted away, told stories and cracked jokes, despite it being much, much harder for her to do. She shared pictures of her recent hot air balloon ride, and was just delightful to be around. We made plans for a photoshoot and she warned me that she wouldn't be up for much, since she has lost all muscle control in her legs, and it's really hard for her to hold her neck up for very long, but when the day came for her photoshoot, she impressed me even more, not only did she let me wheel her around her yard (which I thought was a must, and I'm so happy she was up for going outside) she chatted away with her friends and neighbors who stopped by to see her and bring her flowers while we were shooting. She was worried that she wouldn't be able to smile, due to the loss of muscle in her face, so as she was chatting I continued snapping pictures, noticing the sparkle in her eyes when she told a funny story,  my heart was just filling with admiration and joy... and even if she wasn't trying to smile, or thought she couldn't,  her smile was there.. I admire her determination, and strength, and I can only hope that I will be able to tackle my own battles with as much strength and grace.  
Big Love to you Annie... BIG love.