Be kind, be strong, be funny when you can: A generous photographer’s show of gratitude

When John Curley’s kids were first born, he decided the family needed a motto to send their kids out into the world with. They came up with “Be kind, be strong, be funny when you can.” Every Monday, John Curley shares a story from the week of a person or event that he feels helps illustrate that motto.

Be kind, be strong, be funny when you can: Out from behind the lens

For the 6,000 people that did The Big Climb, the stair climb to the top of the Columbia Tower to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, they heard this after the 69 flights:

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate this. I appreciate it for all of us, but I really appreciate it for me.”

That was said by photographer Lynnette Johnson, an interesting woman with an incredible journey. A long time ago, a friend asked Johnson if she would take a picture of her child, who was stillborn. So imagine being a photographer having to capture what would have been a life through the lens of that camera. It placed her in an interesting predicament, to be able to capture the beauty of a deceased little child.

This assignment sprung her towards providing a service for parents whose kids are very seriously ill. Rather than getting a picture of a child with tubes and oxygen masks, she would dedicate her life to trying to capture moments of joy. Sometimes it was just fleeting between waves of pain, a child dealing with cancer, or maybe it was just a quick smile, so that when the child died, they would always have that as a memory.

And then, as life is full of irony, Lynnette went to the doctor, and the doctor had some news for her – she now had cancer.

“I literally hung up on her and I went into my studio where I photograph,” Johnson said, “and I had cowboy boots on and I stomped and I screamed. I really did not want this, and I still don’t want it. At this point, there are no cures for it so there is no turning around.”

She didn’t let that get in her way of showing her appreciation to participants in The Big Climb, though.

“In the middle of it I can’t stop wanting to thank these people.”

And there she was at the top of the Columbia Tower, being kind, being strong and being funny when she could be, all at the same time as she deals with her own cancer. And she wanted to thank each and every one of them.

Johnson continues with her battle, and she still continues to do good work for others, as well. In fact, photographers all around the country have taken up the task of capturing moments of joy, moments of sunlight before life is snuffed out from some evil disease that is not allowing these children to live their full life that they should have.

Related: Be kind, be strong: Funerals illustrate absurdity of life

Taken from Monday’s edition of The Tom & Curley Show on KIRO Radio.

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