Giving Thanks | Lifestyle Documentary | Los Angeles Family Photographer -
Gratitude. It’s something we think a lot about over the holidays. Growth. That is often the focus of the new year. Both of those words are things that two men created in my life.
Ten years ago, Peter and Lonny were acquaintances of mine. Peter and I were in a “life” class together and tried to forge a friendship, but couldn’t quite figure out how to. Through that class we had been all on a transformational trip to India together, with about 18 other people. I held most people at arms length back then so even after that trip, a close “friendship” had not been fully formed.
After we came home from that trip I was invited to Thanksgiving dinner at Peter and Lonny’s house. I assumed that there were going to be many people there that I knew. Boy, I was way off. I showed up to their house, (I actually almost didn’t go, but my next door neighbor said I had to go. Funny how life works.) and there was only their family sitting around the kitchen. Only two more people showed up and we sat down for dinner. Somewhere during that dinner Lonny looked down the table at me and casually, “Joelle are you single?” Those four words that Lonny spoke didn’t seem like a big deal in that moment, but they changed my life. I was sitting across from a guy whom I had met about an hour before. He was interesting and pretty handsome. Fast forward three weeks later to our first date, seven years ago to our wedding in that same home, and four years ago to the birth of our beautiful daughter Riley who completed our family.
My Thanksgiving memory is a nice reminder for me in those times when I feel the pull to go but don’t want to make the effort to get there to get up and go. Who knows I may have still met my husband and we may have still had our daughter, but my life wouldn’t be exactly THIS life and most days (because let’s be real) I wouldn’t change this one for anything.
Peter and Lonny moved out of that house at the end of 2017 shortly after Thanksgiving. We drive further, but we still spend Thanksgiving, and now the days surrounding, at the same table in their new house. There are three beautiful children (their two boys and our daughter), and handful of other special people that sit at that table and share a meal and stories. And because it is Southern California, there is swimming in November. Where I once saw their family I now see my family. This is my love letter to them and the holiday that changed my life.
