i was looking at my profile picture today
and i wondered what others saw when they looked at it.
i wondered what story they heard behind it.
was the photo staged? was it photoshopped? what is the glow?

so here is the story, small and gentle and tiny and miraculous.

about a year and a half ago, my beloved and i returned home to attend his dear cousin’s wedding. earlier in the day, she had married her partner on the beach, both with tears in their eyes. afterwards, i walked barefoot out onto the sand down to the water’s edge, and he followed me down there, kissing me, his blue shirt making dances over my soft pink dress. the rest of the day was spent in the sun, lazing on sun lounges around their home overlooking the sea. it was blazingly hot, and we ached for the night seabreezes to come.

when twilight arrived, we wandered aimlessly about the farm, hand in hand down to the fallen trees and mosquitos, stepping around the cow dung, looping the verandah around and around. as darkness hung around us, we came to the eastern verandah and gasped at the full moon raising her belly over the mountains. we were feeling sunburnt and weary and homesick, and seeing her was like seeing an old friend.

so there, in the glow of the houselight, chris held the camera steady against the verandah and photographed me holding grandmother moon, coming home to her, coming home to my lover, coming home to myself.

later that night, i caught the bouquet thrown by his cousin. his dad and cousin run to me, scooping me up, crying, laughing with happiness, telling me that they want me to be a part of their family. chris is beside me, arms around me, and we are laughing together. soaking in giggles and tears and the family inside love.

i choose the picture as it is wild and story filled and emotion filled and gentle and aching and fulfilling all at once. it’s got the rapture of the earth and the moon and a spirit wandering the globe in it.

every picture has a story…

what is your profile picture story? why did you choose it?

(you can post your post link in the comments if you’d like to share…)