Carl Jung once said: “The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable.”
Temu has a serious relationship with imagination. A seriously awesome relationship. His mother is a former (::sniff::) kindergarten teacher, and I know with every ounce of my being that Temu is getting the richest early ed experience in the world. And yet, something tells me it’s also deeply in him create with such enthusiasm and interest.
Every step was an adventure–on the go, on the run, what do you see, let’s check it out! GO! While Temu is remarkably kinesthetic, he’s also patiently inquisitive, a trait not many (any?) almost three-year-olds possess; I was awed by his unquenchable curiosity. At one point in our session, we were shhhhhh! creeping bugs in the Arb, hanging on to Matt’s shirt and softly padding the emerald grass underfoot. And then, whoosh!, we had a DINOSAUR among us and he was bounding toward me with his mighty body and great beams of light behind us! And then we were explorers entering the dark (oh dear heavens, Mosquito HQ) forest looking for bears. Binoculars up!
What Temu found instead was a surfboard. A five-inch hunk of discarded tree bark right off our trodden path. He carried or rode his surfboard on the grassy waves for most of our remaining time. Arms out, ear-to-ear grin, balancing on his 5″ wooden longboard. So best. In the in-between moments, we walked (and ran) and explored trees, birdhouses, flowering bushes, forest mushrooms with zeal. There are many amazing noteworthy moments with Shelley, Matt, and Temu, but the most compelling observation of their parenting is the literal leaning in they do. Shelley or Matt points out something and they all lean in–to examine, to touch, to smell, to listen, to learn. You’ll see it in the images below and is present in the dozens more I shared in their gallery. Temu has an insatiable curiosity and the exceptional ability to be present during Shelley and Matt’s love saturated modeling. Just turned three, people.
It was such a gift to able to tell their story.
Let’s go surfin now
Everybody’s learning how
Come on and safari with me
(come on and safari with…)
-Beach Boys, Surfin’ Safari, 1962
Hang Ten, Dude.
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Shelly said these lovely words about working with me:
Jen Lucas is a gifted photographer, but really she’s a magician. Our trio was simply on a hike through the arboretum while Jen strolled beside us, showing sincere interest in our lives and our nearly 3-year old son. Every now and then I would hear the click of her camera. Little did I know that those little clicks would result in a gallery of beautiful, honest images. In her still pictures I can hear my son’s laughter, feel the softness of his breath as he blows dandelion seeds, the tickle of tall grass, and the warmth of the setting sun. I can’t wait to do this again – to stop and appreciate a small moment in our ever-changing lives through the eyes of Jen.
Beautifully Ordinary is a trademark of Jen Lucas Photography, LLC.
