Angel Esther

Today, Esther and I decided to have a portrait session. The last time she and I did this, she was modelling as an Angel for the benefit of a certain public art project, and for a couple of years now has been standing on the walls of our city, in a praying pose. We walked down to see the mosaics together soon after they were installed, and I asked her how she felt seeing herself on the wall. 

"It's such a privilege, praying for the city," she said.

In January, Esther was diagnosed with cancer. For six months, she had to sit through many gruesome rounds of chemotherapy, but she didn't stop praying, and neither did all the people around her. After the first two treatments, her hair started falling out, she began losing weight, and would be asleep for days at a time on heavy duty anti-sickness pills because the chemo drugs made her feel so foul. She kept praying, even when she shivered her way through summer having no hair or body fat left. After she first received the diagnosis, she wanted it announced at church so people knew, but wouldn't ask too many questions when her appearance started changing. While friends went over and said some prayers, I had to lead the congregation singing songs with my guitar. I watched Esther sit quietly, being prayed for, tears falling out of her eyes. It was about all any of us could do to hold it together and keep singing.

And then a few weeks ago, Esther was given the all clear – no remission, nothing, just clear. She's completely healed of cancer in 6 months flat. And because her hair is growing back ridiculously fast, we fixed a date as quickly as we could for these pictures, because we want to mark this.

This is a remarkably strong, generous, faith-filled woman. She knows what it means to shelter under the heavenly wing. She really knows, and looking at these images, something has changed. A new serenity has settled in. Just being around her, you feel it.

This is the day we chose to make pictures which say 'thanks' that our Angel Esther is healed. 

"Thanks."

{Another Soundtrack for Today: The Delays - Find A Home}