Ellis wakes up before dawn every morning, always happy, always ready to take on the new day.
“Awake!”, I hear him say and usually I get up and let Sarah sleep a while longer. She did it tough when I was going through the immigration process, so I figure the early morning shift is one small way for me to repay her for the sacrifices she had to make.
This morning I need some tunes to wake myself up, so I put on some music from New Orleans because I know Ellis loves it. His face lights up when he hears the trombones and trumpets and together we dance the darkness away. Sarah soon joins us and suddenly it feels like the French Quarter in our living room. I remember the wedding I shot there and the memories wash over me like it was yesterday. Joe and Candice are lovely people and I truly hope I get to see them again.
It hits me that Ellis hasn’t even been to New Orleans yet and I vow to take him once the virus is gone. How this beautiful city and her people must struggle right now, like they have so many times before. I remember all the times I’ve been and how easily it is to fall in love with everything that New Orleans is, the history, the music, the people.
I want to come back for more weddings here, to walk the streets for another second line, but mostly I just want to come back, once this is all over I want to let New Orleans do what it does best, make people feel they’re alive again.
New Orleans, I miss you.
We need you.
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BEAUTIFUL BACKSTORY AND STUNNING IMAGES. TRULY A WORK OF ART!