Depth: (n) emotional profundity; intensity.

I had a session today that had so much thought and emotion surrounding it. It starts with a little history:

A little over 10 years ago, when Paul and I were first engaged, I met her, as a friend of Paul's family. Unfortunately, the first time we met, it was in the waiting area of an emergency room, as Paul's family heard the worst news anyone could ever experience. I don't think I'll ever forget the compassion and kindness she showed to all of us, soft words of comfort and kind deeds to soothe grieving hearts.

After Paul and I were married, we moved into the same apartment building as she and enjoyed living across the hall from her, even borrowing dishwasher detergent now and then. I knew her to be quietly intent, intuitive, and extremely charitable.

We moved to our current home not long after, and over time lost touch with her, occasionally hearing of joyous news as she married and welcomed three beautiful children into the world. We would see each other now and then, always sharing a hug and a few words to catch up on each other's lives.

A few weeks ago, I received an email from her, our old acquaintance. Jean-Marie asked me if I would be willing to take some pictures of her sweet little boy Sam. She related to me that Sam was recently diagnosed with autism, and Jean Marie shared some of her struggles, her deep love for her sweet son, and her wish to have some beautiful pictures to help her when the days get weary. The question of whether or not I was willing could be answered easily- I felt so honored and privileged to be able to capture this little boy in his endearing innocence, as well as his two beautiful sisters. I was able to meet with them this morning, and I shared a little play date with the 3 of them in our gorgeous town library, just following along, capturing little moments as they enjoyed all that was around them.

I learned so much today, through the lens of my camera, as I watched Sam playing and exploring the library. I saw joy as he found something exciting, and curiosity when he didn't quite know what he was experiencing. I saw familiarity and comfort in his eyes when he looked at his sisters or his friend and helper, Jayme. I also saw Sam use his innate abilities to capture this photographer's heart. But most of all, above all the others, I saw this: Sam loves his mother. It was a wonder to see his reaction to her compassion and strength- those same qualities she showed her 'across-the-hall' neighbors 10 years ago. The relationship between Jean-Marie and Sam is a beautiful, hard-to-explain bond, between a mother and her son. I'm so thankful that I had the privilege to see it today.

Autism is a broad-spectrum developmental disorder, and affects children in increasingly alarming numbers. It knows no boundary of race, social status, culture, or income level. It can affect any child, any family. Unfortunately, too little is understood about the cause or treatment of autism, and the parents and others who love the affected children are doing what they can to help further research and treatment. In our correspondence, I learned that Sam's family has started a drive to help in the furthering of autism research by participating in "Walk Now for Autism." I offered to tell their story here on my photo journal to share with others. I know that Sam's mom and dad need help and understanding as they face this uncertain road before them. It is their hope that awareness can be furthered, and a cure someday be found. If you would like to help by giving to their walk team- labeled the "Samcredibles," you can click here to make your donation securely online. I know that above all, they appreciate your support.

So here are a lot of images. A lot, I know. But it was such a nice day, and all three of the children did so well, that I had a very difficult time choosing between all of the ones we captured. So I've picked many of my favorites. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.







We started by picking out some books to read-







And then, of course, some puzzles-



Some exploring-


Adorable Grace found a stuffed teddy to love:
Sweet Aly-











Jean Marie wears 3 charms, each one representing one of the children. She also has a puzzle piece, the design for the awareness of autism. And Sam knows it's just for him, as you can see by this picture:

Beautiful brown-eyed girl:

















The curls...










Someone loves his mommy:



And a final quote from one of Jean-Marie's emails: "

“Being close to an individual with Autism is about celebrating life. It’s about finding beauty in small things. It’s about overcoming society’s stigmas. It’s about learning fresh ways to look at things. It does not have to be about tragedy, or pain, or loss."