Photo taken by contributor Shelby Hall, a 22-year-old mother from Dallas, Texas. Before her boys were born, she had a difficult relationship with her now fiancé, in part due to his struggles with drug addiction. She suffered from depression through much of their early relationship as a result of being unable to cope. Loving someone with addiction can feel hopeless at times. She felt lost and unsure about who she was, and who she was trying to be. During that rough time in her life she found herself comforted and consoled by her photography. Shelby’s fiancé is now two years sober, and they are wonderfully happy parents. She loves having her photos to look back on. They read like a timeline and you can see the progressions and pitfalls through them all. They also serve as a reminder of how much stronger she and her fiancé are today.

About this photo: “I took this for a friend. Her little sister’s boyfriend was going to propose and they wanted me to take photos of it.

I absolutely loved this one. How warm the embrace looked. I was completely stunned how a photo could be so emotive, without even seeing their faces. It moved me and inspired me beyond reason.”

Find more from Shelby at her blog.

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