A Claire View of Montreal: NATALIE & OLIVIA

I am excited to reveal the third and last installment of the summer photo shoots I call "A Claire View of Montreal". I love capturing moments in my hometown. It's not every day you get to sit down with one of your closest friends to pick her brain on what it's like to be a mother, and, more specifically, what it's like to be a mother to a daughter. Natalie is one of the greatest people I know, and our story began when we met in university at a time when we were both studying Psychology. The things we would talk about then - including life, love and the future - have become the realities we face each day. It was an honor to capture the candid and loving moments she had with her daughter Olivia (now two, as this post goes to press), just as it is an honor to hear Olivia call me, "Auntie Kendra". 

Thank you, Natalie, for being a true friend, and for sharing your innermost heartfelt sentiments about what it's like to be a mom. Your words resonate with me as I think about my relationship with my own mother. I think that's part of the reason we are such good friends....like gravitates toward like...and you're like family.

(Video interview following photo gallery.)

"...a mini me!" - Natalie, about Olivia

"It's comforting to know that I've got this little life in my hands that I have to embrace and I have to take care of..." - Natalie

Puzzle time, quality time...

"Being a mom, to me, has been the most rewarding experience that I ever thought I could have..." - Natalie

Bright future ahead of you, kid...

Thank you, Natalie and Olivia, for sharing your time with me! Natalie, we used to think about what these days would be like...You're doing an extraordinary job...Olivia, know that you are more than your mom could ever have imagined in a daughter...keep being you. 

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Special Post: A Claire View of Beijing, China

Travel was one of the many things my mom and I shared a passion for. Years before my brother and I were ever thought of, Mom had a chance to witness and fall in love with different parts of the world. Once she did start a family of her own, she joyfully shared her memories of travel, discovery, adventure, meeting very interesting people, and forging lifelong bonds. She also shared in the joy we, her children, experienced once we, too, began to explore the world...one city, and continent, at a time.

On a recent trip to Beijing, China, I was able to capture the candid images of mothers and daughters out and about, around the city. Whether gathered with the patriarchs of their families, or going about their day to day activities as a duo, the mothers and daughters displayed a quiet closeness, an effortless bond. This, again, confirms that the ties between a mother and her daughter are universal and translate across culture, language and geography.

To narrate the images captured would take away from their many "words". Here, is a look at "A Claire View" of Beijing, China...  

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NATALIE & ELIZA

Natalie, of the San Fernando Valley, is a mother of three, all under the age of six, two boys and one girl, Eliza Mattie, 9 months. Natalie is a freelance journalist and an advocate for children with special needs. Her oldest son has cerebral palsy as the result of being born extremely prematurely. Originally from Missouri, she and her husband just relocated their family from Chicago to Los Angeles last fall. Natalie mentions that just when she thought she would be a mom to boys only, she and her husband Jeff welcomed their daughter. Although Eliza already enjoys playing with her brothers’ cars and action figures, Natalie says there is now considerably more pink in the household! In her downtime, Natalie loves to cook and travel.

(Video interview following photo gallery.)

At 9 months, Eliza was already trying to tell me a few things...

Eliza will surely look to her mom for guidance...

...for security...

...and, of course, for countless happy times with lots of laughter!

There may also be times when Eliza will just need a hug... 

"I want her to have realistic healthy expectations for herself." - Natalie

It's the little things that mean a lot and it's the quiet moments like these that seem most precious. Moms tend to know just what their daughters need, from the very basic, to sometimes the most obscure. 

Regardless, it's in the arms of our moms we feel at home...

Comfort...comfortable...

Thank you Natalie and Eliza!

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