It was late last November. Mum was terribly sick. We were desperately praying for her recovery even though deep inside we felt we were asking for another miracle. We were already thankful that she had almost recovered from a hopeless position on the 4th of July 2014.
At the back of my mind were the number of weddings that I was supposed to cover in the months to follow. Mums sickness had already added stress, so coping up with work related stress was a lot of asking. Had to do quite a number of sorties to Goa and Dubai to cover weddings during Mum’s illness, everytime wondering if it was the last time I am going to hear her speak. Had to keep a happy and cheerful face while at the weddings and stay in complete control of the proceedings.
I had a plan B in place should anything happen to Mum. Some things can never be planned for.
Mum was proud of all that I did. She introduced me to the Medical staff and Doctors on duty as her talented Son. He’s got many weddings to cover, she told the Doctors. I seemed more popular as a Photographer than an Architect in the hospital too!
After battling her illness, Mum passed away on the 7th of December 2014 in Abu Dhabi but not without giving a fight. My world was brought down when the doctor said the least wanted words. I lost the one who inspired me to go that extra mile. Her fight till the end continues to inspire me even today and thought me to never to give up whatever the circumstance.
We had to repatriate Mums remains from Abu Dhabi to Goa. Her funeral was held on the 11th of December. I had a shattered heart. I had a choice to do the wedding slated for the next day. Mum had thought me to face life with a smile. I went ahead covering the wedding with a very heavy heart. Even thought it was a matter of a few hours after we laid Mum to rest. I did the wedding for Mum. I kept the smile and looked happy, even though inside I felt the hurt.
But such is the profession as Wedding Photographers. We cannot plan for personal losses. We have to be there on a given day based on our commitment to our client. Once we have the camera in our hand, our personal world ceases to exist; and all we know is making memories for our clients. We keep searching for that elusive shot that will make our clients feel special…and make memories for our clients to relieve another day.
I am sure every wedding photographer goes that extra mile with a smile.