The Most Beautiful Performance Wasn't in the Script: A Photoshoot for Kindness and Empathy

After months of practices I sat on a padded pew and watched the final act of a play that over a dozen kids worked for months to bring to life. 

I was especially proud because my daughter was the youngest actor. And there she was, preforming with seniors almost ten years older than her as they said their final lines. 

And then there was a silence. 

My daughter stood frozen, her eyes searching through the audience as her mind frantically tried to recall words that just a few hours ago came to her so effortlessly. 

The few words she could speak were stuttered as her hands began to wring the skirt she was wearing. 

I shouted her lines in my head. 

I tried mouthing them to her from my seat. 

Silent invocation rang through my head as I pleaded for her to remember.

My own face felt hot as I began to stand ready to rescue my precious child from the embarrassment she was facing. 

But there was Joyanna, compassion and understanding in her eyes that calmed my racing heart and had me sitting back in my pew.

Joyanna understood the faltering words of my daughter, the shaking of her little body, and the high pitch of her voice that signaled tears were seconds away. 

Here Joyanna stopped acting. 

It was impressive watching her improvise new lines so as to spark a memory for my daughter and move the scene forward. 

But those were just words. 

For me, it was the tone. 

The kindness in her eyes that lives I my memory as a brilliant reminder of how powerful a tender heart can be. 

They made it through the scene. 

My daughter never was able to remember the rest of her lines that night (though, she aced it the next) and I’m glad. 

My daughter was experiencing a public struggle and spotlit embarrassment. 

And Joyanna, who was in the midst of her final high school theater preformance steped into the embarrassment, quieted the worry, and rescued my daughters injured spirit. 

This was Joyanna’s best performance. 

Tender-hearted empathy and generous emotional charity. 

It's been a few years since that incident, but every time I looked through my lens at Joyanna out in a soggy patch of wild flowers right next to the freeway, I could still see that same gentle strength.

That saintly compassion and tender heart.

It lives right on the surface of who she is.

It was never an act.

This is Joyanna.

Love, Melinda

P.S. If this story left you wanting to wander through a field of wildflowers, or simply reminded you that every season of life is worth remembering, you don't need a special occasion to be photographed.

Whether you're updating your headshots, celebrating a milestone, embracing motherhood, or just want to see yourself through kinder eyes, I'd love to create something meaningful with you.

You can email me directly at melinda.fox.photography@gmail.com or reach out through my website.

My private portrait studio in Ulster, Pennsylvania, was designed to provide a relaxed, personalized experience for every client. I joyfully photograph women, families, and professionals throughout Bradford County, PA, and New York's Southern Tier, including Ulster, Athens, Sayre, Towanda, Owego, Elmira, and Corning.