When I was 15, a little girl was born across the street. This tiny little girl was given a big name… Joan Leslie. I’ve gotten to watch her grow into that big name. When she was 3 there were note cards on everything in the house naming them, so she could go ahead and start recognizing the words. We would watch “Anastasia” over and over again. She HATED laying down in the bath tub AND having water poured on her head, which made washing her hair quite a trick. Most mornings that I was at her house she wanted noodles with butter and garlic salt for breakfast. Sometime in early elementary school she asked for a mailbox for Christmas. And when she was 8, she gave the best toast (other than my father’s) at my rehearsal dinner. In late elementary school she wrote a newspaper when she would come to work with her mom and planned to cure cancer when she grew up. Next year she will go off to Tuscaloosa (I’ll keep loving her) and begin her life on her own as a young woman. This lady is very precious to me, and now my children. I was so honored she asked me to capture this moment in time!
