Heartbreak

I've known he was leaving for months. We knew he was leaving earlier than expected for a few days. So why is it then when I walked into the room the night before and saw his bags out and his clothing lying in piles waiting to be packed, it took my breath away? For the first time, it was very real and a sense of impending doom set in. Before I even grabbed the camera, I knew I was going to title this shot "Heartbreak."




"Is it really that much stuff," he asked me when he saw me taking a picture. I couldn't or wouldn't answer him. The amount of stuff had nothing to do with the strong urge that made me capture that moment in time. The significance of that "stuff"--bits and pieces of his life--our life, sprawled all over our floor, ready to be packed up and taken far away for so very long; that's what spurred me to take that photo.

Without knowing the story behind it, it's just a few bags and piles of clothing. To those who know our tale, and even more, to those who live it, this is what hearbreak looks like.