Hello, I'm Larralyn

One on one, I could talk forever but in every other situation, I become an observer. A noticer. Born an artist, I struggled to find my place. I knew I wanted to serve people but it took a long time for me to figure out how bring those parts of myself together.

 

My journey was born in grief. 

 

At 28, I lost my dad after a short but voracious battle with cancer.  A three time Vietnam veteran. Twenty five years in the fire service. An international pool champion. A world traveled man who never so much as sneezed.  A legend to anyone who had the honor of knowing him.  To me, an overly competitive card player, a story teller, a cycle breaker, a man whose actions matched his words. Someone who always took the time to compliment a stranger and my most brutally honest but biggest fan.

Gone in what felt like an instant.  

 

I could probably write a book on the intricacies of it, but I will scale it back to a reasonably sized version. 

 

At first I thought I could never survive the heartache. One hour felt like ten years of pain and the world just kept moving forward but I was paralyzed and broken. Eventually I began to take the lessons he taught me in my short time with him and implemented them, one at a time, into my day to day life.  

 

I realized I found peace in creating. Something I had somehow forgotten. I made so many things. I baked, I painted, I decorated, I learned to use my dad's power tools and built things.  The missing piece was that I still wanted to serve people.  I woke up one day and just knew I had figured it out! Thirty-one years old. I had finally figured it out. 

 

One of my favorite stories to tell is when my husband came home from work that morning and I told him, “I want to be a photographer now” and he immediately took me and bought me a professional camera. Never batted an eye.

 

I immediately dove in. Overwhelmed, I almost gave up but this beautiful Columbus community is full of incredible people who helped me every step of the way. I observed, I learned, I grew confidence, I succeeded.

 

This is where it all culminates into the path I chose to take. 

 

I realized my very last and probably most cherished memories with my dad in good health, were on my wedding day.  His gleaming smile that lasted the entirety of the day was encapsulated in beautiful photographs. My now, most precious belongings.

 

The following day he left for Florida for the winter.  Only to return once more the following Christmas.  I realize now, to say goodbye to my children. 

 

One month later he was gone.  Leaving me with only memories and photographs. 

 

When I arrive at your wedding, I have memorized the names of your family members, I have taken time to learn your family dynamics. I take special care to photograph your guests. You see, this is the one and only time in your life that everyone you love is in one place. I want you to see the joy they are feeling because the day goes by so fast for you and it’s my job to stop time for that moment so you can always look back to see your grandma’s hands folded in prayer, your grandpa's smile when one of your bridesmaids asks him to dance. Your dad’s tears as you slow dance to a song that has always made him think of you.  

 

Because I know the true value of preserved memories, I work tirelessly to preserve yours. 

 

January 29th, 2024 marked ten years without him and you can bet I am living to make him proud.  I’m still a terrible card player, and my story telling is subpar but my children know love because he showed me love and I have never missed an opportunity to give a compliment.