Colorado Boy
Red river in his veins,
And countries in his eyes;
The highest state became
Nearest to where his body lies.
In silenced songs of string
And parting through just-parted lips
Sirens set escaping
Breaths of Everest.
Strong in clever armor
Of muscle and mystique
Lured this frightful heart
To the edges of Pike’s Peak.
For weathered in adventure —
A coarser course to me,
Never had I seen
A thing of such beauty.
Three and a half years ago I met the man I almost immediately knew was the one person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and wrote him this poem. I loved everything about him, his intense blue eyes, his dimpled cheeks, his slapstick sense of humor, and the feeling of knowing he would do anything in the world for me. For as long as I’ve known him, he has only been truly passionate about one thing besides me, and that was someday returning to the part of this country he loved more than any other in the world, which means a lot coming from someone who has seen as much of the world as he has. Colorado is the place where he grew up, and the place he would have never left had he been given a choice, and the place that has molded him into the beautiful person I have come to love even more with each new day.
For those of you who don’t know, Sean and I were married deep in the heart of Colorado, in a very small town called South Fork (All photos by the amazing Jared Wilson Photography). Even I was taken in by the majesty of the beautiful Rocky Mountains, and wide-open countryside. We never knew when and IF the future would truly take Sean back to Colorado, but when I put the ring on his finger before that gorgeous mountain backdrop, I knew my fate was tied to his and if the opportunity ever came for Sean to call this place home again, it would become my home as well.
A lot of time has passed since then, and I have enjoyed having it all here; my family, the holidays, and of course the amazing business I built from a few dimes in my pocket and a dream in my heart. I saw Sean becoming less happy though, as time passed and he began to lose hope his opportunity to get back “home” would ever come. He reluctantly applied for a transfer to a different office, in local New Jersey, as Denver was for yet another year, not on the transfer list. Then, out of nowhere, Sean had the option to transfer, not to New Jersey, but to Denver!?! Sean came banging on the bathroom door as I was in the shower, the phone still clenched tightly in his hand, and I popped my head out to see what was SO important. He looked straight into my eyes and said “life-changing decision to make” and explained our options, doing his best to hold back the hopeful excitement I’m sure he was afraid would make me feel pressured. Of course, that wasn’t necessary, because it was a decision I had already made long ago. I immediately said, “Yes!”
As of April 10, 2011, Lauren Brimhall Photography will be a Denver and Northern Colorado-based company. I just want to immediately reassure every single one of my brides for this year AND next year that I WILL be working your wedding. There are 25 of you booked in 2011 as of right now, so I will be living here in PA for weeks/months at a time in order to work those weddings and conduct any other remaining sessions you may have purchased with your wedding packages. I want you all to know that I am 100-percent committed to each and every one of you AND to your weddings! How could I not be? I have the best brides in the world!
I tell you this story, because as brides, at this point in your lives, if there is one thing all of you should hopefully be able to understand, it is doing things for love. Love is about compromise and occasionally sacrifice. It’s about acceptance and being there to support each other’s hopes and dreams. I think all of you are aware of the many ways in which Sean has supported my dream in starting this business, among other things, and now there is nothing that is going to stop me from supporting his. Colorado, here we come — Yeeeeehhhaw!
