Dorothy may not have been blood, but she more family to me then my own blood relatives ever were.
I spent 8 years growing up in Grand Haven, our brick house nestled right along hers. She was a retired kindergarten teacher, a fierce tennis player, a lover of dogs, and she was Irish through and through! She wore a gold three leaf clover necklace year around and celebrated St. Patrick’s Day for the whole month of March. She had a laugh that would light up the room, a forgiving heart that loved unconditionally, and an endless set of wise words to live by. Over time she became my most treasured grandmother. She recognized and appreciated that I never conformed to other people’s ideals and beliefs but instead thought for myself. As she would say, “you always beat to your own drum.” And that I did.
I was 9 when we moved away to Maine. Before I was packed into the car and driven away, I remember standing in her driveway, stomping my foot and saying that I was going to come back to Michigan. (She didn’t doubt it as I often stomped my foot at my parents and “ran away” to Dorothy’s house, dragging a bin full of my favorite toys and Breyer horses.) 16 years later, I returned to her door step, knocked on her door, and as she opened the door, we smiled, remembering the promise I made so long ago. For the next 5 years we enjoyed long talks in her parlor, savoring sweet candy, laughing over the silly things in life, and rolling our eyes at the noisy neighbors that lingered outside. She was there with me to celebrate some of the best moments in my life, including one of my first dates with Andy and 4 years later, my wedding day as we detoured the party bus to her house to bring her the party when she couldn’t make it out of her house. She was there to hold me and wipe away tears when life got tough, and she taught me that sometimes life requires you to pull up your big girl socks, put a smile on your face, and be the bigger person.
I was blessed to have 5 additional years with her. She passed away a year ago and a half ago, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her.
So in memory of Dorothy, I will be giving away a MINI DOG SESSION.
What’s included in the FREE session:
One MINI DOG SESSION (a $175 value) to be photographed at your choice of Grand Ravine Dog Park, the North Muskegon Beach, or down town Grand Haven. This package includes 10 Digital Images chosen from an online gallery of 25+. Printing Rights up to 8x10 prints will be provided, and larger prints, fine art products, or albums will be available for purchase.
Opportunities to upgrade your package to receive a larger collection of images will be available once the completed gallery is delivered (approximately 2 weeks following the photoshoot).
How to ENTER:
1. LIKE J.Klein Photos
2. Comment with a photo of your dog
3. Share the post to gain more votes!
*If you don’t LIKE J.Klein Photo’s page your entry will not be considered. If you have been invited to LIKE the page, please accept!
how to win:
The photo with the most votes wins!
Contest ends at 8PM on Sunday, March 22, 2020. The free session will be scheduled for April 2020.
