A Reason to Celebrate

Charlotte is the type of woman whose light fills the entire room. She has an enthusiasm for life and a certain warmth that I felt instantly upon meeting her. This past Sunday, a group of her friends and family gathered to celebrate Charlotte. As a photographer, I don’t really have regular coworkers or even familiar faces in the work place. I am ALWAYS the new guy. I don’t know anyone, nor does anyone really know me. This is a blessing and a curse all at once. While sometimes it can get a little lonely, it simultaneously allows me to observe and document my subjects through an unbiased and unfiltered lens (ha…sry). I get to watch people interact with each other. I get to see whom people naturally gravitate to in a room full of peers and family members. Charlotte has a magnetic pull towards anyone she comes in contact with. People want to be around her, they want to talk to her, hug her, listen to her. She truly seemed to be everyone’s favorite person, from the two-year-old guest, to the 30-year-old guest, to the 60-year-old guest. Everyone vied for Charlotte’s attention. And Charlotte seemed to make time for everyone. Charlotte made her way around the room, socializing with all the guests. She had an energy that seemed to follow her wherever she went, and her presence brought with it smiles and laughter. Charlotte seems to be the type of woman that is ever present in the moment. She enjoys the world the way it is, lives her life to the fullest, and loves the ones she’s with. She is a true inspiration. Oh, and by the way, she just turned 90.