This
was November of 2014, Fox would be hospitalized that night for
salmonella poisoning [that we never figured out how he was exposed to].
Thomas had spent hours in the shower with him, trying to keep his fever down and letting the vomit and diarrhea rinse off of them both as it came.
It was a powerful moment for us as parents. Our intuition was starting to fire off that this was much more serious than just a virus but we’ve had much more experience with over reacting than not so we were trying to hold off.
Thomas had spent hours in the shower with him, trying to keep his fever down and letting the vomit and diarrhea rinse off of them both as it came.
It was a powerful moment for us as parents. Our intuition was starting to fire off that this was much more serious than just a virus but we’ve had much more experience with over reacting than not so we were trying to hold off.
As
I sat in the shower with the two of them I was just overwhelmed with
the scene in front of me. This man. This husband and partner and father.
He was so patient and so loving and so strong with our tiny son in his
lap. His whispers of reassurance to Fox, that he would be ok and that
Thomas would take care of him were so steady and so honest.
Fox had always been more “my twin”. He clung to me more than Persephone did in that first year and would always choose me over Thomas for comfort. But, in this moment, he needed and wanted Thomas.
Fox had always been more “my twin”. He clung to me more than Persephone did in that first year and would always choose me over Thomas for comfort. But, in this moment, he needed and wanted Thomas.
I
stepped out and grabbed my camera and came back to snap a few images of
it and, of course shared them. I was taken aback by how many people
missed the story or didn’t even look past the nudity to find the story.
They were just hung up on them both being nude and being in the shower. I
had crossed a line. It was too intimate. It shouldn’t be shared
publicly.
But, I disagree.
But, I disagree.
My
family may be different than yours. But, that doesn’t make your way
right or my way wrong. You may never take images of your family like I
do… you may never share images of your family like I do. But, that
doesn’t give you the right to silence my voice. To take away my right to
share our experiences in an uncensored way.
There is nothing sexual or exploitative about this image. There aren’t even any “private parts” showing.
There is nothing sexual or exploitative about this image. There aren’t even any “private parts” showing.
I
wish I could express this all in a better way. I wish I were better
spoken and not as rambling. But, this is important to me. And, I hope
that one day there will be a platform that not only allows this kind of
freedom for families and artists like my own… but, welcomes them without
fear.
