Christiana Childers Photography Blog

This post is about my friend H.  I’m a leader for Young Lives (Young Life for Teen Moms) so met her at the HS I volunteer at in the Day Care Center.  She was 17 and pregnant.  She is probably one of the sweetest girls you’ll meet.  She has a shy smile but smiles often.  She generously lets you into her life.  I’m truly a better person having known her the short time I have.  She planned to raise her baby but near the end of her pregnancy made the hard choice to let him be adopted by a family.  I can’t imagine getting to that point and then carrying through with the plan.  But she did.  I just wanted to do a quick post to honor her.  She put her baby’s needs in front of her own and it wasn’t easy.  It took lots of strength, courage and ultimately a strong mother’s love.

So proud of you, H!!

There.  It’s out there.  Today is my 40th birthday.  I’m not freaked out about it or anything.  In fact, the older I get, the more I like myself!  I’ll take that over youth any day.  I’m really not saying that to make myself feel better.  It’s true!  But when I think about the fact that I remember well my mom’s 40th birthday, I start to get wigged out!  Or that we moved to Scotland when my mom was 42 because she was a grown-up, like a real parent and, in my teenage mind old!  So it’s not that I’m freaked out, it’s that my 12-15 year old self is freaked out that I’m there already, and a grown-up (oh do shut-up those of you who would like to argue that!).  I’m so grown up that we are passed the mini-van stage! How did that happen?

Recently I was with my mom’s cousin, Ruth – a very classy lady.  Her grandmother was my great-grandmother and we called her Granny.  I remember her as this old lady that was, well, a granny – bun, house dress, comfortable shoes… Ruth made a comment about how women who now have grandchildren, as Ruth does, are not their grandmothers!  Granny wore a bun and house-dress easily by 40.  Ruth dresses very well.  Not a trace of Granny about her!  This comment was made like “Whew! Thank goodness we are not victim to that anymore!” Which of course I agree….BUT as I let this sink in, I thought that there is some freedom in the other side too.  I thought about the pressure we put on ourselves to look as young, hip and put together as possible.  I imagined what a life would look like without the societal pressure of trying to stay young, where I’d wear a house dress, make pies and was allowed to be pleasantly plump.  It wasn’t a bad day-dream, I must admit!  But then I woke up!  I am so happy where I am – after all, as Kari said to me “Forty is the new thirty!”.  I like that I can wear my favorite green Converse or my red cowboy boots.  I wonder what Granny would think of them?!  I’m thankful for a husband who is very involved in the housework, raising of kids because I know that wasn’t the case for most generations behind us! And I’m so thankful that I’m allowed to have a photography business that gives me such joy!

Thank you, to all of you who’ve let me capture you or your family this past year.  It has been such a blessing to my life…this new life!  Thank you!

One more thing… I’m applying for a scholarship called the SOAR! scholarship.  The dateline for submitting is today – my 40th birthday.  So I’m hoping my birthday mojo will help get me this scholarship out of a pool of lots of amazing women!  Winners of the scholarship get some cool Sony camera gear, business coaching, mentoring from amazing photographers, branding, and website help just to name a few.  If you’d like to see my video go HERE and pray that I am chosen for this amazing opportunity!