MOST POPULAR POSTS

Thursday, March 01, 2012

Reflections

My mom says that, even as she gets older, she always thinks of herself as a young girl. She says she sometimes looks in the mirror and is surprised to see a 60-year-old woman. This portrait series by Tom Hussey captures how we remain ourselves, even as our bodies age.

(Thanks, @mommaruthsays)

116 comments:

  1. these are so amazing.
    really makes you think and reflect.
    and really makes me want to call my mom and say "hi" :)
    jes
    www.twosmuppies.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. these really made me smile. thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Such a wonderful concept. My grandmother has said the same thing... that when she looks in the mirror, she says, "Who is that old woman?" as she still sees herself much, much younger.

    Here's to hoping we all see ourselves that way as we age... :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh I love this!
    Now, at 45, it's really starting to happen to me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is such a cool idea for a series! Genius!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beautiful! Makes me wonder what I'll see when I look in the mirror in 30 years. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. your momma is right. this is so very true. i don't know at what age this happens, but it does and it's nice to know you are not the only one. thank you for the intro to this lovely series.

    ReplyDelete
  8. this post brought a lump to my throat and a little tear to my eye. lovely, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  9. it has happened to me a couple times in my thirties. sometimes i'm like, wait, how can i have grey hairs? i'm like 12!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. es geht mir genauso wie ihrer mutter!!! ganz liebe grüße von angie aus deutschland

    ReplyDelete
  11. what an amazing concept for a portrait series-thanks for sharing! My father always talks of how when away at sea one of the much older seamen would sit and play cribbage with the young men and join in their conversations as though he were still a 19 year old man himself. Once, my father bumped into him and he confessed he had just looked in the mirror and not recognised the man before him: a fifty year old seafarer horrified that he did not see his younger self. Our minds remain the same, it is just the packaging which changes!x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous3:12 PM

    lovely series.

    ReplyDelete
  13. WOW! I really really love these photos. I have a feeling I'll still feel like a 17 year old no matter how old I become.

    ReplyDelete
  14. awww..these are fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  15. These are beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  16. My mum who is also 60 this year, says that too (although she's more specific about her imagined age, still feeling about 12, she says :) Lately, I kind of get it. I'll be 33 in a few months, but I catch myself thinking I'm a twenty-something all the time...

    Love the images; so beautifully wistful.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I knew if anyone would love these, it'd be you! :)

    I can't wait to share these with my Mamaw - her 74th birthday is Monday but she's still just as spry and youthful as ever!

    -Mary Ruth
    @mommaruthsays

    ReplyDelete
  18. Becca3:22 PM

    Is that James Franco in the top one?

    He would.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Awww...this is sweet & profound. =)

    Lemanie's Randomness Blog

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love these! Absolutely beautiful meaning! When I'm that age I would like one just like it. After all it's not what you look like, it's how you feel inside and it shows that way on the outside.
    Jenniferxx

    ReplyDelete
  21. oh my goodness i love these so much!
    i've so had that moment of shock when you weren't ready to see yourself in a mirror and you're like "that's me?"

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh wow these are fantastic, what a touching idea. Thanks so much for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  23. This made me so emotional even though I'm only in my twenties! It really drives home how fast time passes and how we should really makes the most of each day.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I want to see Toby's

    ReplyDelete
  25. Whenever I am able to relate to someone who is twice my age, I tell them. They usually respond with some sort of negative remark about how old they are. I tell them to stop because they are as young as they feel!

    http://www.hernorthstar.com/

    ReplyDelete
  26. So true! My moms is in her sixties too and she always says the same. Who's that lady i the mirror? That just means she's still young at heart, I love it, I love her...

    ReplyDelete
  27. young at heart! i guess we'll always feel like we're not grown up. xoxoxx

    ReplyDelete
  28. awww i've always loved this series! :)


    I even posted about it, here!
    http://gravityplan.blogspot.com/2010/10/reflections.html

    ReplyDelete
  29. These portraits are so poignant and they speak volumes. One of my favorite posts of yours!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I was amazed to hear my grandmother say on her 82nd birthday in December that she still feels 25. She has Parkinsons and is stooped and can hardly walk, so I feel it's truly a testament to how mind triumphs over body almost all the time. Sad and beautiful too.

    ReplyDelete
  31. my mom says the same thing. i'm still even starting to think that way (at 30)! interesting portraits. thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  32. So true. here in the Uk there is a big debate happening about how we treat our lederly people in hospitals and care homes, wouldn't it be great if every elderly person had one of these portraits of themselves up on their wall to remind that they too were young once.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I'm so there....lovely portraits, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous4:34 PM

    let's get real though, your mom hardly looks 60

    ReplyDelete
  35. Just wondering, are the reflections their previous occupations?

    ReplyDelete
  36. incredible. i think about what this must be like often.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I love these photos!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Aw, this actually brought a tear to my eye. x

    ReplyDelete
  39. Beautiful pictures! I love them.
    I just discovered yuour blog, and absolutely love it. Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  40. what a really great series, love the art direction.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Pictures that seem sad and happy, all at once.
    Material Fixations

    ReplyDelete
  42. such wonderful photography!! and I actually have the same last name as the photog! thanks for sharing these awesome photos :) it's so artistic

    ReplyDelete
  43. Great portraits. I too am surprised when I seem myself in the mirror, when actually I do feel like I'm still much younger!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Anonymous5:47 PM

    Many years ago, I read a study that reported most senior citizens imagine themselves to still be in their mid 30's. At the time, I remember thinking that was so strange. But now that I'm in my 40's, I can see how that's becoming a reality.

    I think it's a reminder, in this youth driven society, to see older people for not how they look presently, but to remember that they were once the same age that we are now. And sooner than later, we will be in their shoes.

    ReplyDelete
  45. So cool. I love looking at the elderly and imagining how beautiful and youthful they were. It's a sweet thing.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Oh, I don't know, i think it's sad! I'm kind of hoping that my mind will stay in touch with my age.. I mean, now, at 32, I think all people younger than 30 look really young and childlike. I don't mind being older, because they are so tiny! I'm kind of hoping it will stay that way, that when I'm 40 i'll feel like "this is the place to be", like I do now. I suppose it will have to end eventually - but I feel like in these photos, a person peaks when he/she is 20 and beautiful, and after that forever looks back. That's sad, no?

    ReplyDelete
  47. .. that said - they are really beautiful and moving!

    ReplyDelete
  48. It's beautiful - it is about how you feel, how you remember, how you never forget, the way you were. And really the way you still are. I'm 53! I still feel like I'm 16 sometimes! Life is great at any age, but I think youth is so fleeting, and then BAM. you're grown up. You really are as young as you feel. Sometimes we look at older people like they've always been old - that's how we know them. But the stories they could tell :o)

    ReplyDelete
  49. This is such a beautiful series.

    ReplyDelete
  50. holy bananas! no way your mama is 60---she's so lovely and looks SO much younger!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Anonymous6:34 PM

    Been there done that
    I feel even worse when I see myself in the mirror after swooning over a forty something guy in the check out line.
    I'm in the swoon for sixties set.

    ReplyDelete
  52. What a beautiful series. It's funny - I'm only thirty two, but I still think of myself as a sixteen year old sometimes even though I have three little boys at home.
    Ronnie xo

    ReplyDelete
  53. Goodness! Those photos get me a little teary-eyed! So lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  54. I *love* this! Thank you for posting. :)

    ReplyDelete
  55. These are really touching but got me a little choked up. I'm not gonna lie...

    ReplyDelete
  56. This is so touching.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Anonymous7:35 PM

    This is so heartbreaking in a way. It is sad that people don't see people as we were and as we still feel. Yet it is beautiful nonetheless. It is a reality we will eventually all share. your blog is the best.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Anonymous7:36 PM

    Joanna, I love your blog and your uplifting, encouraging take on life.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Beautiful photos-- haunting, in a way. I'm 27 and I teach 2nd grade and I constantly have these moments where I stop and think Wait, I'm in charge?! What makes it all the stranger is the fact that I used to attend the school I work at, and my former teachers are still there! It definitely makes me feel like a kid.

    I do still think of myself as a girl, and I doubt I'll ever stop feeling that way. I wonder if really important people have the same thoughts-- can you imagine President Obama feeling 20 and wondering how he got to be in charge of a nation? :)

    ReplyDelete
  60. It is true...us old people really do see the world with young minds and hearts. I'm a teacher, way old enough to retire, but I don't feel old...I feel like I'm still learning and getting better... And as for love, I still love my husband as much (more) than when we were married 43 years ago. We still like to have dates. In fact, I love your idea of meeting in the restaurant for extra romance... And I'm still reading the blogs of all you young things and enjoying all the tips, clothes, books, ideas... Thanks, Jo, for being one of my favorites!

    ReplyDelete
  61. Thank you so much for sharing, I wish I had thought of this photo series. It is perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Alina8:45 PM

    Wow, that's really interesting, but maybe also sad. What's wrong with seeing yourself as old(er)? Among the many things written about French women are that they are accepting of aging, because aging to them doesn't mean "letting oneself go," and doesn't seem to be viewed so negatively as it is in America (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/fashion/15French.html). I wonder whether this series is more applicable to America than anywhere else.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Thanks for posting this on my boyfriends 40th Birthday! I still see the 20 year old in him everyday! :)

    ReplyDelete
  64. Already I see this happening; a beautiful heartbreak that you have to get over.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Such a cool concept!

    ReplyDelete
  66. These pictures are beautiful! Very thoughtful post

    ReplyDelete
  67. so beautiful!
    http://mybabykins.com

    ReplyDelete
  68. Great photography!
    www.notasinfashion.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  69. this is adorable,
    i looove this!

    xx

    http://becauseicancindymarie.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  70. i love these, thank you for sharing. So many times we just see a mother, or an old lady and are not open to the wealth of all the adventures, wildness and richness their lives have offered them...and we lose what they have to offer us as a result. This reminds me to really see each person for who they are. x

    ReplyDelete
  71. Anonymous11:50 PM

    I agree with Alina. I think this may be a a cultural thing, as I spend a lot of time in Europe, have a European family (my partner is Italian), and really don't feel this way at all. I see exactly my forty-something self in the mirror. I like just being who I am now, having more perspective, wrinkles, different roles and dreams, even slowing down a bit! I have a much older French male friend who told me once that when he was a young boy he used to see older women in his village and thought that the sexiest thing about a woman was the dark circles under her eyes. True story!

    ReplyDelete
  72. This is how I see my partner, that first impression, nine years ago.

    On age, I don't keep count of my age. Whenever I'm asked for my birthdate, it comes out automatically. But when someone asks "How old are you?" I'm mentally calculating the years. One person said to me, that is a great way to stay young(er) - not knowing how old are you. Very true!

    ReplyDelete
  73. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  74. oh, this is so sweet! i love the ones where the older "them" is smiling into their reflection!

    ReplyDelete
  75. I feel the same. I still walk around like an 18-year old, but less insecure.

    ReplyDelete
  76. A sweet and thought-provoking series. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  77. Thanks for sharing this Joanna...it was such a touching post to see those photos. Still following you everyday from Malaysia! Have a great weekend.

    xo Grace
    www.wrinkledchiffon.com

    ReplyDelete
  78. As all the others have said, what a great idea to show the portraits like that and to remind us how time changes one except inside us!! I too cannot believe how old I am, as I feel eternally young inside and still waiting to feel grown up! Yesterday my oldest child turned 45, so I am really this old, but hard to feel thank goodness. My mother always said she would never get old, and she didnt right until she passed away at 87, she was still rushing around and going places. Thats the secret of eternal youth, never to stop being involved with others.. Have a great weekend and thank you for sharing your post with us all! Janzi

    ReplyDelete
  79. Anonymous4:53 AM

    These make me so sad I know they shouldn't but they fill me with the fear, which tells me more about my life than I need to know right now I think I should take this as a kick up the bum to get on with life.

    ReplyDelete
  80. lovely pics!!!!!!Sometimes I wonder how I'll feel when I'm older and see my reflection...

    kisses from Spain

    ReplyDelete
  81. i was really moved when looking at these. My mom always says she never feels her age too...these remind me of her.

    ReplyDelete
  82. Darren Keegan (@dazerk)5:44 AM

    These are great. I wonder why they chose to see themselves at that particular instance of their lives? I don't think it's a youth thing always, maybe just when they were happiest or most proud of themselves? Nice.

    ReplyDelete
  83. This is fantastic, enjoy your youth!

    ReplyDelete
  84. Wow, these are amazing. It seems like the concept may have come across as sad, but it's not, these photos are completely uplifting.
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  85. i love these photos. very touching food for thought, and a reminder to live everyday to the fullest regardless of age

    ReplyDelete
  86. Anonymous8:04 AM

    Great Photos!
    Done for an Alzheimers disease campaign.

    I feel, it also could mean to be trapped in the past.

    ReplyDelete
  87. Leonie8:31 AM

    Beautiful. But makes me sad somehow.

    ReplyDelete
  88. I still think I am 17 and I am only 24... I wonder if I will stick with 17 when I am 92 or I will think I am like 26... interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  89. very good work... & a little melancholic too :)

    ReplyDelete
  90. Wow - that actually made me tear up - beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  91. Anonymous10:16 AM

    love these pix, as one of your older readers, I have to say your Mom is right on target. My reaction is "who IS that woman?".

    ReplyDelete
  92. what a concept! i love this series. great find.

    ReplyDelete
  93. your comment is so true: my mom has been in a wheelchair for about five years due to debilitating arthritis, but in her dreams she is always walking. she's never once had a dream about herself in her chair.

    ReplyDelete
  94. i really love this so much.

    ReplyDelete
  95. There is a saying that goes, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?". I think these photos capture that perfectly!

    ReplyDelete
  96. Anonymous4:36 PM

    What an amazing concept - so poignant!

    ReplyDelete
  97. wow, I love this! I have heard that from my mom as well...

    ReplyDelete
  98. I have worked with Tom Hussey - he's terrific

    ReplyDelete
  99. These are amazing. Loving your blog!

    ♥ sécia
    www.petiteinsanities.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  100. Love these images. SO personal.

    ReplyDelete
  101. quite true. i'm 46 and sometimes when I Look at myself in the mirror or in photos my first thought is "wuo's that lady"?? although I feel good in my skin, in my mind I'm still 30

    ReplyDelete
  102. This idea is so creative, and it's true! No matter what our bodies do - aging wise - our mindset is always stuck on an age...I personally think I'll be 19-20 forever, and even though I'm only 24 I don't think that will ever change.

    ReplyDelete
  103. Lovely, and humbling. A good reminder of our own impermanence. Thanks for sharing these.

    ReplyDelete
  104. wow that is amazing. Love the concept

    ReplyDelete
  105. Coach leather goods,coach outlet stores 60 the past five years has become one of the representatives of the American fashion symbol.coach for sale Its predecessor,coach factory online is a Manhattan loft in 1941 a small,such as family workshops.coach factory online By six renowned master craftsmen in the field of leather goods production,coach online production to create a series of sophisticated small leather goods. Today,coach outlet online the master of the Coach leather goods production still delay the passage of hand-tailoring leather goods, and over the years established Craftsmanship.




    Pinnacle Series package is the most expensive leather hand-made models are elegant and stylish luxury. coach online store Among them,cheap coach the Pinnacle Leather Louisa Dowel Carryall is the best choice for spring,coach factory outlet its new dual-pin design is extremely fresh,coach factory online store quite a modern flavor.coach outlet Pinnacle handbags, Louisa series of delicate tubular handle decoration, coach factory outlet onlinesophisticated technology, coach factory outletthe full three-dimensional zipper brand using bomb leather Seiko secret agents. All Pinnacle series leather flash all hand dyed, add a touch of traditional crafts charm.coach factory store



    Coach full range of accessories goods: purses,coach for salebriefcases,suitcases, travel bags, wallets, jackets, gloves,scarves,watches,glasses,shoes, coach outlet onlinefashion jewelry, and other.

    ReplyDelete
  106. Anonymous3:38 AM

    If the lead acid battery is discharged but not dead you can jump-start it from another fully charged
    automotive battery. If there is a way to fix the auto car battery, why not do that to save the extra unwanted cost? About 30 minutes of driving should allow the alternator to charge the
    AGM vrla battery until you can get it to a service station for a full charge. However, if the alternator or another part of the electrical system in your car is damaged it won’t be possible to recharge your
    ups replacement battery. So if your traction battery keeps discharging, first have your electrical system checked. What looks like a bad
    ups batteryy could be an electrical system problem; if you have a bad component in the electrical system, it will keep draining a new battery, and you'll be stranded again and again.

    ReplyDelete
  107. Even though my little sister is 23, when I look at her I still see the adorable two year old with pig tails who carried her stuffed animal with her everywhere.

    ReplyDelete


  108. This site is one of the best I have found :
    " Progressive Home Insurance "

    " allstate home insurance "

    " progressive home insurance "


    Excellent information and facts. Only real difficulty I was basically receiving was viewing the pics. No idea exactly why.

    1.Best Home Interior Interior Design Seattle

    2.Best Minimalist Design Minimalist Interior Design

    3.Best Interior Design best interior design schools


    I agree, for the most part, but don’t you feel as if the issue is more complex than that?

    => Specs Review : 2013 Acura RDX <=

    => Specs Wallpaper: Mercedes Benz C300 <=

    => Specs Review Modifications: 2013 Audi TT RS <=

    ReplyDelete

Nice comments only, please! (That means you, anonymous.)

Site design by Apartment One
Federated Media Publishing - Style