Today is my 51st birthday, and in a lot of ways, there is nothing really extraordinary about that.
Historically, I haven’t made a big deal about my birthdays. A mushroom and olive Caserta’s Pizza with a side of Wimpy Skimpy along with a Gregg’s Lemon Cake with my three children is all I need to have a great day!
Last year was a milestone birthday for me and it was the first year I was truly excited about celebrating me. I took a step back to remember who I was and who I’ve grown to be. I knew exactly how I wanted to commemorate my 50th birthday: 1) Run the Marine Corps Marathon in DC, which I did with my son-in-law last October and 2) get on the other side of the lens and capture my 50 year old self.
I have always been an advocate for photography, and spoken about the value of photos. To me, they are invaluable as they capture and memorialize moments for ourselves in the future and for future generations. The act of photographing women and empowering women through photographs has always been a passion of mine and I wanted to experience this feeling for myself.
With hair and makeup professionally done, I put on a tulle skirt and crystal tiara, I found myself in front of the lens rather than behind it….and I had a BLAST! The photographs and images from my 50th birthday are some that I know I will treasure forever. Even looking back at them today – one year later – I realize how important this experience was for me.
I decided that I will give myself an annual birthday photoshoot to show my growth, who I am in that moment and in that year.
This year at 51, I held true to my promise and once again had my hair and makeup done, and stepped in front of the camera. Just like last year, I had tons of fun and lots of laughs and love the images-a year older with a few more laugh lines. I also have the comfort of knowing that someday my children and grandchildren will treasure these photographs.
