Three Mothers (from left to right): My mother, Aunt and Grandmother

“The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.” - Balzac

PROSPECT PARK, NY – I have not seen my grandmother laugh this hard in years! After enjoying a round of mimosas (its Sunday after all), the table was set for dinner. For the occasion, my grandmother prepared her famous Italian macaroni and cheese with fresh ingredients from Russo’s. She also picked up an assortment of olives, artichoke salad and bread for our mother’s day feast. In addition to hosting the dinner, my Aunt prepared several dishes including: roasted chicken stuffed with spinach and goat cheese. My mother brought cupcakes for dessert and I….well….I brought my appetite…and my camera. Today, my goal was to document a moment worth remembering…

I cannot recall ever seeing a recent photograph of my mother, grandmother and aunt together as adults. In fact, the thought did not occur to me until just days before the shoot. Despite the cool 46 degrees (that’s 7.7 in Celsius for my non-American friends), all of us understood the importance of celebrating this moment with photography. At first there was a brief moment of hesitation. Although these woman understand that I live and work as a professional photographer, to them, I am simply Parris…their son.

Thankfully, my aunt remembered and began reenacting the “cookie cutter” poses from her class photos as a child. Jutting her nose in the direction of my mother, she loudly proclaimed, “Side profile!” To my surprise, my mother also remembered the tedium of these poses and began to join in. Before long, the two were in hysterics. My grandmother looked on completely amused and started to chuckle; an understated quiet murmur at first.Then a hearty sound escaped her lips; not a casual forgettable laugh but a deep visceral laugh. Full of soul and base, a laugh that can only be summoned by a person who has swam the depths of sorrow and soared the heights of joy. This is the quality of laugh that is earned with age. In this moment, the image presents itself if but for a fleeting moment. A rare and priceless gift. I have not seen my grandmother laugh this hard in years. Today was indeed a happy Mother’s Day!

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