Photo taken by contributor Shelby Hall, a mother in her twenties 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. Shelby suffered from depression through much of their early relationship as a result of being unable to cope. During that rough time in her life she found herself comforted and consoled by her photography. Shelby’s fiancé is now sober, and they are happy parents together. 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: “This is the first photo I have taken in a long time that hasn’t been a self portrait. This is of my beautiful baby sister who is graduating in just a couple of weeks. We grew up in a family that struggled a lot, and we worked so very hard to stay close as an entire unit, that sometimes I feel like I didn’t nurture our sisterly bond very well. She is my only sister, and now that she’s going into the world a woman, I am having to face that she isn’t such a small little thing any more. The world can chew you up and spit you out if you let it, but in spite of my anxious fear, I know she’s going to do big things and she’s going to stand strong and tall through every hit life throws her.”

Find more from Shelby at her blog or on Instagram @shelbyhallimages

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