Category Archives: Family

Time.
It’s a fickle thing. Sometimes you wish it would just hurry the heck up. Next thing we turn around and complain that it’s winter again!
Time is a funny thing.

What happens when it comes to knowledge that 2 weeks may be all the time you have? What happens then?

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Ester and Brendon.
I met them under the circumstances that you wouldn’t wish upon anyone. Under circumstances that has you holding your head back in order to dry the tear ducts. And has you crying without choice when you hear a terminally ill Ester whispering to Brendon that she loves him.

9 years knowing each other. 4 years of marriage. 3 different cities. 1 major earthquake. 1 full degree. Amongst all the wonderful small things in every day life that make up the love of a relationship.

Ester and Brendon met through a friend from church. Something must of been right because within a couple of years Ester wakes up to go to the toilet and when she returns to bed she finds a ring on her pillow and Brendon asking her to marry him.
31st of May 2008 marked a truly happy occasion. On a beautiful Autumn day, they were now able to call each other husband and wife.

Through various moves, between Dunedin, Wellington and Christchurch, they found themselves back in Christchurch for the long haul.
The Christchurch Earthquake was a scary day for a lot of people. Even scarier for Ester having been in Dunedin at the time, knowing Brendon was working in the Ibis Hotel. On the 7th floor. Not knowing whether he was ok or not. It was a loooooong 6 hours.

As dust settled on the Earthquake, Ester was in her final year of Uni. She graduated from a Bachelor in Oral Health on 10th Dec 2011 with A+ passes.  She got a job at the Christchurch DHB in January 2012  and was diagnosed with stomach cancer that very same week.

This is just a blip of their story. A story that Dr’s have deemed a story cut short. But their friends, their family, their church members. They are all praying. Praying for a miracle. Praying that this beautiful woman with a heart more golden than the sun will see another healthy day.

But in the meantime, you don’t know what is around the corner whether good or bad. So what can you do other than enjoy the company of the one you love? …Well, you capture all that with photos too.
Ester summoned all her strength, her sister put on some make up and Ester brought a smile. I could see that it was tough. But she smiled, she smiled the entire time.

And I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.

This is their story. The story of a husband holding his wife’s hand. And a wife that is smiling on his.

This is Ester and Brendon. A love that will last forever!