30 year old female I STILL struggle with
judging and comparing myself to others.
My story takes its first hard road off center
when I was 14 and told I had Leukemia.
The realization, understanding and
acceptance that my body attempted to
destroy me came much, much later. But
the foundation was there. two and a half
years of 14 different chemotherapy
agents and I finally took a deep breath,
confident my troubles were over. Silly
me!
Four years ago, on July 2, 2011, my only
sibling, a brother named Josh, died as a
result of a rock climbing accident. It was
so fast, how it happened. One moment
my world was all in place, and the next
I'm told a vital piece of my life and my
future has been removed. I felt powerless
once again.
Finally,, in August of 2014, I made the
very difficult decision to leave my
husband. I had done everything I could
think of or even imagine to make it work,
to make it just a little better. But, it was in
vain. I finally realized that leaving was
the only way I would ever live my life
again. I'm lucky that my ex and I are
friendly and amicable about our situation.
But, it's still hard. Another dream
shattered into a million pieces.
I share this not for anyone to feel badly
for me, or even for the empathy. I share it
because if you really look in the mirror
and examine your own life, you'll see
much of the same pain, guilt, and grief
that I do. It is not measured by who has
the most tragic story, but rather by the
fact that you experienced it.
As women, we really sell ourselves short.
We conform to society and the norms
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it places on our shoulders, and we carry forward, hunched backs and high heels
with a smile.
This experience with Chuck Coleman is an attempt to give women just like YOU
an opportunity to throw your inhibitions and preconceptions out the window.
It's an opportunity to see yourselves through another lens. The baggage you
carry will always be there waiting for you to pick it up again when you need to
feel the weight of it. This experience is about leaving all of your bags at the
door. Come inside and relax. Meet some absolutely amazingly strong women
who share in your own experiences a common thread that binds us all together
as a sisterhood. Oh, and Chuck? His ability to capture true, raw beauty is
unbelievable. He respects and loves women for the unique creations that we
are!
I walked away from my Queen for a Day experience feeling incredible, strong,
powerful, attractive (even though I'm fully masked in some pictures!!!) This
feeling is rekindled each time I pull up one of the images Chuck captured. I
encourage you, male of female, to really look at the images. Look beyond the
props and see the message underneath. We are beautiful. We are strong. We
are fierce and mighty. We are delicate and deserving of affection. We are
hurting. We are thriving. We are healing, and we are growing. What a gift to
have a tangible document of my own journey. I encourage you to reflect on the
images, provide any feedback or questions if so inclined. And if you want to
know more, just ask!!