Liz + Erin | A Friendship Session at Leonardo’s Coffeehouse in Steubenville, OH

This was an incredibly special session. True friendship can withstand time and distance. True friendship is something so good for the soul. True friendship is something that gives us a taste of God’s love for us and how heaven will be. Liz and Erin have been friends since high school. Though they have lived states apart, they have remained friends. But what makes this session SO incredibly special is the next chapter of their story that is unfolding.

Erin will soon be moving to France to enter a cloistered monastery to become a Benedictine nun. Liz asked if I would take pictures of them together as this is last time they will be able to see and touch each other. The entire story pulled on my heart is such a profound way. I have a little sister who is a Dominican sister but she isn’t cloistered and she’s in the US. But even though it’s not as drastic of a change, having a sister in religious life isn’t easy. It’s beautiful but it’s hard. I miss her so much, wishing I could just text her or call her. So I have a taste of the change that Liz and Erin are about to undergo. This session was bittersweet but so so fun at the same time. It meant so much to me to be able to capture the joy of their friendship. They wanted to start their session at Leonardo’s Coffeehouse in Steubenville. This was the perfect setting because they have spent most of their time together in coffeeshops. We finished the session with lots of laughter across the street in a cute little area with colorful bricks and paintings.

Going through the photos to edit and blog them, I got teary eyed, knowing just how precious each image would be to not only Liz but Erin’s family. I took some individuals of Erin for her family to have… it makes me choke up just typing this. It’s an amazing sacrifice not only for the woman entering religious life, but also the family. It was such an honor to be able to give her family images of their Erin, laughing and smiling. Please pray for Liz, Erin and Erin’s whole family in the coming weeks and months as they adjust to this huge change! I know from experience that God definitely gives incredible grace to the families of religious and priests for their sacrifice.