Such a sweet maternity session set among flowering trees! Ruth & Jamaal had a beautiful maternity session together (love with both dad and mom are included in maternity!) that Becca Allen captured so well for their memories! They shared with us some of the things they’ve learned recently as a family …
Any lessons you learned as a family through the last year?
We have learned in the past year that life can be very messy and much like the beginning chapter of Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities”, we experienced life this past year as “the best of times and the worst of times.” Losing a family member while at the same time bringing life into the world is a roller coaster ride of emotions. However, we have learned that even in the midst of grief that we can still choose to celebrate the good.
What does family mean to you?
For us family is all about safe and secure connections to those we love and hold most dear. We have found that in our small and now growing family that five pillars give us the emotional safety for secure connection. These pillars for us include love, patience, transparency, security and accountability.
What are the best things you’ve learned from each other?
Jamaal, being as laid back and patient as he is, has helped me to cultivate the practice of being patient, a virtue that I thought I already had. Along with patience, I have also learned how to repair ruptures in our relationship as we’ve worked together to develop a roadmap that helps us to feel together even in the midst of conflict. Experiencing his unconditional love has been wonderful and healing.
Ruth has taught me that empathy goes a long way and that sometimes our partner just wants their feelings validated and heard meaning that a solution to a problem is not always needed.
If you had one piece of advice for other families, what would it be?
Our advice would be to never stop laughing!
What can help keep the laughter going in a family is to take genuine interest in each family members’ special interests and to find humor even in the most mundane parts of every day life. Every couple and family can develop their own ways of bringing levity, kindness and love into the every day. We have chosen humor đ
Photographer: Becca Allen Photography
Venue: Oatlands Historic House and Gardens
Dress: Nothing Fits But
Hair Stylist: Donita Artis, Salon 29:11
Barber: Kingdom Cuts by Jay
Publisher at The White Wren and Bajan Wed, Award Winning Photography + Videographer at Live View Studios, Dad, 80s music lover, crunchy health advocate
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