Charlie Boy | Broome Family Photography

I hope I never have to write a post like this again, ever. 

I’m not sure I even should be posting this in the first place. I don’t want to, I don’t want this situation to exist for me to blog about. I need to though, it’s how I analyse things, how I work through my emotions, with photography and writing. How I remember.

My Mum called me on Thursday.

Mum: “I have some horrendous news.”

Me: “No.” I’m not sure exactly why that came out or what I meant by it.

I thought it had been a tough week already, perspective was about to slap me hard across the cheek. I could tell not only by what Mum said but also by the slightly higher pitch, the drawn out tension and the depth in the tone of her voice that this was intensely serious and was going to upset me. I did not want this news. I knew before knowing. My body went still, my eyes closed, I swallowed and held the phone closer to my ear.

“It’s Charlie Boy” she said. “No” I said again… It can’t have been easy, but she proceeded to tell me the story of what had gone on the night before and that day. I don’t clearly remember my reaction to her, maybe there was a mumbled “how?” or an unanswered “why?”, unanswered because how can you answer that. How can anyone answer that. Then the tears, fat, silent, slow.

Charlie Boy was born an old soul. He had a special bright spirit about him that drew people in. The Elders knew it, everyone who came near him knew it, even his brother Will, only two, knew it.  I look at his eyes in these images, I see it so clearly, his nature, his soul, his calm, his beautiful little being. I don’t know if you can actually see it in the images or if I only see it because I knew him, connected with him, held him, talked with him. A baby boy who could speak so loudly with no words.

Charlie Boy was loved deeply, I know that much.

Life is so, so precious. I will remember you Charlie Boy. I am honoured to have met you, spent time with you and captured you and somehow, somewhere, I’m sure I will meet you again.

Hold close to those you love x