People: Portrait (PROFESSIONAL) - HONORABLE MENTION
Carida
Photo © Natalie Paivo
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This is Carida, I met her in Cuba on the streets of Matanzas. Carida is just 69 years old, and she suffers from dementia. When I saw her, I froze, I saw something in her eyes — a deepness — and I instantly felt in my bones how fragile she was. She spent her life in an abusive marriage, but now she lives alone, and she has no one. She lives on a monthly pension of 15 pesos. Do you see that brown streak on her forehead? That's a burn scar. Years ago, in a fit of rage, her husband poured a boiling pot of hot water on her head, leaving the pot overturned on her face. When I heard her story, my heart just about broke. Despite her dimentia, she will carry that memory with her forever. At that moment, I knew that what I had seen in her eyes was sadness, a lifetime of it. But what I saw next is what surprised me. Carida didn't say one word to me, but I saw strength in her eyes. Even though she's seen unspeakable pain, her sweet eyes still managed to convey a defiance, and a downright refusal to get lost in her past.
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This is Carida, I met her in Cuba on the streets of Matanzas. Carida is just 69 years old, and she suffers from dementia. When I saw her, I froze, I saw something in her eyes — a deepness — and I instantly felt in my bones how fragile she was. She spent her life in an abusive marriage, but now she lives alone, and she has no one. She lives on a monthly pension of 15 pesos. Do you see that brown streak on her forehead? That's a burn scar. Years ago, in a fit of rage, her husband poured a boiling pot of hot water on her head, leaving the pot overturned on her face. When I heard her story, my heart just about broke. Despite her dimentia, she will carry that memory with her forever. At that moment, I knew that what I had seen in her eyes was sadness, a lifetime of it. But what I saw next is what surprised me. Carida didn't say one word to me, but I saw strength in her eyes. Even though she's seen unspeakable pain, her sweet eyes still managed to convey a defiance, and a downright refusal to get lost in her past.
About author:
International Wedding, Destination + Portrait Photographer. Currently living in Toronto, Canada.BACK TO GALLERY
