honorable mention
Natalie Paivo canadaPhoto © Natalie Paivo
title
Carida
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entry description
This is Carida, and I met her in Cuba, on the streets of Matanzas. Carida is just 69 years old, and she suffers from dementia. When I first saw her, I froze, I saw something in her eyes — a deepness — and I instantly felt in my bones, just how fragile she was. She spent her life in an abusive marriage, but now Carida lives alone. She has no one. She lives on a monthly pension of 15 pesos. Do you see that brown streak on her forehead? That's a burn scar. Years ago, in a fit of rage, her husband poured a boiling pot of hot water on her head, leaving the pot overturned on her face, and giving her that scar. When I heard her story, my heart just about broke. Despite her dimentia, she will carry that memory with her forever. The moment after I heard her story, I knew that what I had seen in her eyes was indeed a deepness, a deep sadness, an entire a lifetime of it. As I looked at her, I started to feel her sadness, I wished I could have taken some of that weight off of her shoulders, and some of that pain out of her heart. What I saw next is what surprised me. Carida didn't say a word to me, but I then saw a strength in her eyes. Even though she's seen unspeakable pain, her sweet eyes still managed to convey a defiance, a powerful will to go on, and a downright refusal to get lost in her past.about the photographer
I am a natural light photographer, who specializes in Destination Weddings world-wide.back to gallery