Laura's page

This page is for friends of Laura. To visit and celebrate her spirit. Laura was a lifelong friend, a family friend maybe, but a special friend. I had not seen her for several years when she and Matt and her parents showed up on a September Sunday morning. A wedding had been planned for spring, it was now planned for two weeks from that day. Could I show up and take a few photos? (This of course was prefaced by, "Now, we know you don't do weddings.") But it was, after all, Laura.
I learned at the wedding that both Laura and her sister Lynn would be in town for a week after the wedding, waiting for the trip to Columbus. Thinking that this could be a stressful week, I called and offered, "We could go out and do some 'Sisters' photos". Someone thought that this was a good idea, probably Linde, the mom, but credit was claimed by Laura (of course). Lynn was out of town on that Saturday, so it was only Laura and I who spent the day that first Saturday in October. The day before she would begin the life taking Chemotherapy.

What a day we had! Laura was the model, me, the tentative photographer, now fearing that I was imposing on the whole family. Laura was a natural in front of the camera. So I asked, "When were you in front of a camera before?" Response: "Oh, just family and friends doing snapshots." I commented, "It seems like you've been doing this - modeling - for a while. You just seem so relaxed, you know how to stand, what to do with your hands and your feet." Response: "Oh, how long have I modeled? All my life, it is just that I never had anyone with a camera before!" For those of you that didn't know Laura, this is the way it went, every conversation. We agreed while she was in the hospital that we would do it again soon, with the Very Extreme Bald Look. It was a good plan.

For those who just stumbled here without knowing Laura, our friend died on the eve of Thanksgiving, 1999.