Barbara Jimenez at peace on her horse in April 2006.
THE STORY OF DEAR LISSIE
My mom is my hero. It’s hard to continue to talk about her in the present but she is constantly inspiring me. See, she passed away in 2006 after an unbelievably courageous 2-year battle against stage 4 Primary Peritoneal Cancer (it’s kinda like ovarian cancer). I seriously could write a book on living that experience by her side. But I’ll try to limit it to a few words. Awe-inspiring. Terrifying. Pivotal.
So what does that have to do with dear lissie? Well Lissie was the name my mom called me. She was the only person who did or ever has called me that. She wrote letters and emails to me and that’s how she’d start them. I even remember her pausing mid-phone conversation to sigh and just say “oh, dear lissie.” So for me the name honors my mama. It honors the beautiful mother/daughter relationship we had, and it reminds me to not waste any time. That’s what photography is to me. It’s my passion. It’s what I’m meant to do. I had other jobs before and they burnt me out. Life is too short to spend it not doing something you love.
Watching someone’s life end slowly and prematurely can teach you a lot and it can be very positive IF they are very positive. My mama gave new meaning to bravery. She used every second she had left to love us and show us how precious life and family is. I took a lot of photographs OF her while she was dying…it was beautiful and scary and powerful. But I’ll always regret not taking more pictures WITH her. Life is short. Have family pictures made. They are treasures. Have prints made. Put them on your walls or stuff them in shoeboxes. One day you will want to return to them and they will help you connect with those who no longer surround you.
On that note, let’s not waste any more time. Let’s capture the knowing look in your eye as you touch the swell of your belly, the tiny wrinkles on your new baby’s hands, the squished up face your toddler makes when you tickle him, or the mature young lady that your not so baby girl is turning into. There’s nothing in this world that would make me happier! Click here to read more about Mel.