Judi

Sometimes life is plodding along at a predictable, monotonous pace, especially when you have been married for over 35 years.  People fall into rhythms that they assume will be charted the rest of their days together.  Especially when those rhythms involve being caregivers, which Judi and her husband have been in since only 3 weeks into their marriage.  But then sometimes, if you are very fortunate, life begins to take some interesting twists that have you begin thinking more about each other than anyone else.

Judi received this Couture package of portraiture from her son and husband for Mother’s Day last year.  She has moved through quite an evolution in how she approached it over the last year.  She’s always hated having her portraits taken, so she wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of portraits that focused just on her.   Her son and husband bought this to help Judi celebrate her 90+ pound weight loss through Ideal Protein at Weigh for Life in Hampstead.  Yes, she knew she had lost a tremendous amount of weight, something she has struggled with her whole life, but she still couldn’t imagine the life long pattern of disliking photos of herself would be changing.  I assured her we would be breaking that pattern.

Judi, slightly skeptical, began to plan her Couture photo shoot, at the urging of her son and husband again.  We met for a pre-consult and she, for the first time in her life, began to get excited about the possibility of what we could create.  The idea of being pampered in the styling chair for several hours at the hands of my stylist Jill Jackson, was foreign to her, but also intriguing.  Her excitement began to build.  Then she read a book that she has been telling every wife she knows about, 40 Beads, and there was no looking back!

40 Beads helps couples learn how to prioritize intimacy and inspires couples to take their relationship to to the next level.  “The author of 40 Beads, Carolyn Evans’ marriage was in a slump. She and her husband were barely communicating beyond banal banter or seething arguments. But while trying to think of a 40th birthday present for her spouse, Evans had a moment of inspiration that ended up strengthening their bond and gave rise to a veritable method for sensual relationship-resuscitation.”   Want to know more about the book that has revolutionized Judi’s almost 37 year old marriage and has her and her hubby acting like newlyweds?  Here’s an interview. 

Judi sees God’s timing all over this rebirth in her marriage.  A trip to Vegas and picking up 40 Beads is what sparked the beginning, but there have been signs all along the way that it was time to ‘rejoice in the wife of your youth.’  She incorporated her mom’s lion necklace into the shoot.  Her sneak peek portrait had her entire family realizing how much she looks like her mother, who she dearly misses.  

She sent me this professional portrait made of her mother when she was 16 and the resemblance was plainly written, although she was seeing it now for the first time.  Then, when Judi showed up for her View and Choose, as I played her slideshow of portraits she wept because the song I had chosen, “The Man I Love”,  (unbeknownst to me) was one her mom had played on the piano every night before bed.  She had also been playing it in the car earlier that day for her grandchildren and told them about how special this song was to her…the list goes on and on and Judi just can’t stop smiling!  

She also recommends every wife check out 40 Beads! 😉