I See Her in Me: a Photo Essay
Throughout my writing, the inspiration I come back to again and again is always platonic love. I don’t think I’m unique in finding romantic love often overhyped- too stressful, too unstable. Platonic love is steady and unwavering, it asks for nothing. This photo essay is a testament to platonic love. For this project, I have recreated pictures of my mom, who has loved me as tirelessly and constantly as breathing. I aim to take these pictures with the platonic loves of her life (she is still friends with everyone in these photos!) and recreate them with the people most important to me. These pictures of my mom were taken when my mom was in college at UCF, living and working in Orlando in her 20s. The striking similarities in our lives have always shown through, but through working with this photo essay I have started to notice how much of myself overlaps with her.
Image Courtesy: Bella Love
My mom looking VERY UNHAPPY because the bus she was on broke down on the side of the road. She doesn't know it here, but this is the day she met my dad, this is his sweatshirt in her hand.
Image Courtesy: Bella Love
Trying to match her energy.
Image Courtesy: Bella Love
My mom and her college best friends: from left to right- Dani, Girly Ann, Lana, mom and dad!
Image Courtesy: Bella Love
My besties! From left to right: Sean, Carson, Tori, Hollis, Bella (me!).
Last week, I FaceTimed my mom to show her that I had gotten three shiny new nose rings-three brand new holes in my face. She was not thrilled, as I doubt any of our mothers are when we modify our bodies. My mom and I went back and forth for a while before I revealed to her they were fake and I did not get three face piercings at once (I’m a poser!). I have a brief but painful experience with infected piercings and nowhere near enough money in my bank account for multiple piercings, so I told her I was surprised she thought I would have done that. She responded, “It is just the kind of stupid thing I could have seen myself doing when I was your age, and I could see you doing the same.”
Image Courtesy: Bella Love
My mom on a trip to see Lana in Washington. This picture is making me strongly consider getting bangs.
Image Courtesy: Bella Love
I love being able to see a picture of myself and see the parts of my face that so clearly resemble my mom. I'm always carrying a piece of her with me.
The next day, she called me to tell me she had talked to her best friend from college- Girly Ann, whom she affectionately refers to as the “keeper” of her memories. She recounted a story she had forgotten, but Ann, always sturdy and steadfast, had remembered, about the time she had tried to color her hair with box dye. With deeply fried and bleached hair and the confidence of an eternal optimist, she called the helpline on the side of her box of Clairol hair dye and was informed by the woman on the other end that she should under no circumstances dye her hair again. According to the disembodied voice of the Clairol woman, best case scenario her hair would be so brittle it would snap off, worst case it would fall out completely. Knowing my mother, I had an idea of what she did but I asked anyway. Her reply- “Of course I dyed it! It was fine!”
Image Courtesy: Bella Love
My mom and her best friend, Girly Ann! They are still best friends, I go to her house every Sunday to play guitar with her son.
Image Courtesy: Bella Love
This is me and my best friend of 10 years, Tori. We are totally going to force our kids to be best friends too.
Image Courtesy: Bella Love
From left to right: Girly Ann, mom, and dad.
Image Courtesy: Bella Love
From left to right: Tori, Bella, Hollis.
My mom and I exist on parallel lines. Every mistake I make, every decision good and bad, she’s done it too. We’re deeply similar people, with our head-in-the-clouds mentality, our loud laughs and our overuse of the word “fascinating.” I’m growing up in the same city she spent her twenties in, where she met her best friends and my dad. I spend my Friday nights sitting on my bedroom floor, getting ready with my friends to go to shows at the same venues my parents danced through at my age. It’s a comfort to have this life laid out in front of me. It’s a guideline, it’s how I know no matter what happens, everything will work out for me in the same way it worked out for my mom. She’s always been my north star and it is such an honor to grow more and more like her every day.
Image Courtesy: Bella Love
My mom with Uncle Dani! He's not really my uncle, but he fixes my car and moved me out of my dorm my freshman year so he gets the honorary Uncle title.
Image Courtesy: Bella Love
Me and best friend Ainsley! Ains is the most Uncle a person can be without being a real uncle. I've never met someone so passionate about grilling and they're always the person I call when I need advice or when something in my house breaks.
Strike Out,
Writer: Bella Love
Edited by: Nina Rueda and Olivia Wagner
Photo Editor: Tori Markowski
Bella Love is a content writer for Strike Magazine Orlando. You’ll usually find her with headphones in and sunglasses on, trying desperately not to accidentally make eye contact on campus. In her free time, she loves to watch Elliot Page movies, listen to live music, and obsess over Stevie Nicks. You can reach her at bellarileylove@gmail.com.
