— Donna Hopkins | Photography

Today is my mother-in-law’s birthday and she is 90 years old. We gathered at her home to celebrate and she was happy, surrounded by family. The party was planned and carried out in surprise fashion by my sister-in-law, Norma and included a delicious strawberry cake. And the yard was summertime perfect with the grass freshly mowed and the sidewalks blown clear (thanks to our nephew Ken for all his hard work in keeping Grandma’s yard in good shape). The whole day was a lovely reminder of the simple pleasure of being alive and belonging somewhere.

My primary camera is still in California being repaired, so I was limited to the camera in my iPhone, and I’m not familiar with it at all. Mostly, I struggled to orient the pictures anywhere near straight. It might seem strange that I don’t have a picture of my mother-in-law and maybe I’ll take one on our next visit, but today seemed like a day to let that pressure go. Instead, I took a few supporting pictures to tell the story of the day.

A cake that looks like real life. Bought from a local, family owned store. Not handmade. Not perfect. Strawberries cut in big chunks, freshly whipped cream, yellow cake. All piled high.

A leaf blower that sits as a symbol for interdependence where we help each other, even in the boring things like yard work. A kind of pride in taking care of what we have instead of always wishing for more.

My mother-in-law lives a beautiful life and she’s still learning and growing every day. She’s my role model.