Beneath Your Beautiful Mar 2023

PUBLISHER DESIGNER EDITOR CREATIVE

Hara Allison

COPY EDITOR

Elin Adcock

At Beneath Your Beautiful, we are commited to spreading positivity and hope + improving lives through raw and compassionate storytelling.

If you, or someone you know, has an impactful story to share, please reach out to hara@BeneathYourBeautiful.org

BENEATH YOUR BEAUTIFUL AWARD-WINNING

byb.li/BYBpodcast

FRONT COVER ART

PHOTOGRAPHER Jeanette de Vries Ziegenhain, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany instagram.com/sevenseconds7

BeneathYourBeautiful org

All rights reserved. Contents of Beneath Your Beautiful, including articles and artwork/photography. may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the express consent of Beneath Your Beautiful.

MODEL Hans-Jürgen Spreitzer aka HJMoustache, age 63 instagram.com/h_j_moustache

BACK COVER ART

PHOTOGRAPHER Lindsey Shedd instagram.com/linds_shedd

Thank you for taking this journey with me and allowing me to share art and stories that are meaningful and life-changing.

ARTIST Dave Van Etten vanettenstudios.com

dragonflylife my

by Mary Anne Em Radmacher

The author of more than a dozen books, Mary Anne Em Radmacher is an artist, poet, and consultant who has proven that art, creativity, and communication skills are crucial to the success of any organization... even the Pentagon. A writer since she was a child, she uses writing to explore symbols and find meaning as an author.

She is perhaps most well-known for these lines from her poem: Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”

MaryAnneRadmacher.net facebook.com/maryanneradmacher10

To learn more about Mary Anne Em , listen to Beneath Your Beautiful podcast Episode 100

One day as I toiled in the swamp, I was visited by a faerie, or at least that’s what I told my parents after running home and excitedly describing what I had seen.

I was told I had “a vivid imagination,” my parents discounting my claims. Every book I’d ever read involving faerie folk described exactly what I had seen in the swamp, and I happily chopped skunk cabbage, eager for the chance to spot another faerie. It was my good fortune to see a few more over the course of that summer.

Years later, in primary school, I learned that what I saw was actually a dragonfly. The dragonfly, in its many iterations, is not especially common in Western Oregon, so it didn’t occur to my parents to equate my magical sighting with this beautiful, iridescent insect.

As I built my career as a speaker and writer, I studied and shared information

about the creature I had mistaken for a magical being and became aware of how amazing a dragonfly really is. I learned that the dragonfly, with more than 3,000 species (odonate, from the Greek, meaning tooth) have been on the planet for around 300 million years. The most efficient carnivore, dragonflies eat many times their weight in mosquitos and other smaller insects daily.

Leonardo da Vinci invented a flying machine modeled upon the multidirectional wings of the dragonfly, and to this day they serve as models for modern day military machines.

The dragonfly has been revered by many cultures across the millennia, and holds a sacred place in mythology and legend. The Samurai considered it a symbol of agility, power and victory. In China, it still symbolizes harmony, prosperity and good fortune. Among many Native American tribes it represents speed, purity and happiness.

Many aspects of its life-span are both transferrable to everyday experience and aspirational for long term ease and effectiveness. While there are dozens I have learned and used in my life, I will highlight three.

When I was six years old my father taught me how to safely wield a machete and sent me to the swamp near our river cabin. My task required me to remove the skunk cabbage that grew wild and gave off an undesirable odor.

agility

The eyes of the dragonfly have 30 different vision pigments – humans have three. Dragonflies can see ultraviolet light, have very precise depth perception and can exactly judge distance between themselves and their prey. Each of the dragonfly’s eyes has 30,000 different lenses and it allows them to see all around them, almost a 360 degree field of vision.

The wings of this creature each move independent of each other. This pivotal capacity allows them to move quickly in all directions. They can continue to fly even if one of their wings becomes disabled.

They are elegant, efficiently moving up, down, forward, backward, and hovering in place with little effort. A dragonfly beats its wings approximately 30 times a second. That may seem excessive but compare it to a bee at 200 times per second, a mosquito at 800 times or the house fly at nearly a 1000 flaps per second.

Of the many metaphors I draw from this purposeful, mindful movement is going to be most effective for me and there is decided advantage to pursuing anything using a full 360 degree evaluation. It also inspires me to be flexible and fluid in my ability to quickly pivot in any situation.

self preservation

There are three phases of life a dragonfly experiences: egg, nymph and adult. The nymph stage – the longest portion of their lifespan – is spent in, on and near the water. The nymph will rarely wander more than 30 feet from their water home, but will relocate quickly if they sense their water source is not clean. If you approach a body of water in an area normally populated by dragonfly nymphs but none are present, it is reasonable to assume the water is contaminated.

While humans tend to remain in unhealthy circumstances for a variety of complicated reasons, dragonfly nymphs will remove themselves from danger immediately because of their core sense of self-preservation.

the long arc of preparation

The nymph stage of this creature’s life is long compared to its adult life. They will molt eight to 18 times in this stage, mostly under water, taking many months to several years. The final molt marks the pre-full-flight state and leaves them very vulnerable to predators.

Like a butterfly newly emerged from its cocoon, the dragonfly requires hours to plump and dry its wings before it is flight ready.

Their wings, which appear so fragile, are actually quite sturdy, filled with a complicated network of veins and independent muscle connections.

These seemingly solitary creatures are community oriented, often gathering together atop hills in a practice called “hill topping.” They use their legs, not to walk, but to stabilize themselves when they must rest, which is about every three days. These curious and seemingly friendly insects do not like to fly in a storm, but can if they must.

While they have spent months to years maturing, a dragonfly's primary role in adulthood is singular: to reproduce. They spend their brief stint as adults (6-12 months) pursuing that genetic impulse. In comparison, many people connect with a clear sense of purpose, and spend the whole of their lives

in pursuit of that single purpose. More common, though, is a growing, “molting” and discovery process. Like the dragonfly, I have spent much of my younger years preparing to enter the “adult” phase of my life and endeavor to leave a fine legacy.

Inspired daily to live my dragonfly life with agility, a sense of self-care and embracing the long arc of preparation and learning, I value the organic and evolving way this iconic image reveals itself to me.

Perhaps if you know your icon, you will deepen your relationship to it. And if you do not, may you be inspired to start your search for patterns that may reveal it to you. Like the Eiffel Tower or the Golden Gate Bridge, once it is yours, people will bring you to mind when they spot that icon. What sweetness there is when a friend says, “I saw a dragonfly and it brought you to mind.” «

MODEL Tyson Beckett

TALENT AGENT Jeff Rocco MAM | wearemam.com

PHOTOGRAPHER Hara Allison instagram.com/hara_allison_photography hara.photography

by Trudi & Tyson Beckett

I’m 11 years old and have been dancing for almost 6 years. My primary style is ballet, but my favorite is lyrical. In lyrical dance you get to feel the music and tell a story in a way that only movement can. It’s a true work of art.

I love dance, but it’s not my only passion. I have also been acting and singing for as long as I can remember. I’ve done several musicals and just filmed my first movie role.

I also draw and paint and I even designed an LGBTQ ally tattoo that my mom got last year.

Throughout my life, I’ve always known that I was different from other kids. I told my mom at age 7 that I was pretty sure I was gay. She hugged me and said

I’m not sure exactly where I fall into the LGBTQ community, but I know that I am who I am, and that I wouldn’t want to be anyone else.

Over the years it hasn’t been easy for me. I’ve faced a lot of bullying, a lack of acceptance, and I’ve experienced things that are painful to talk about.

Sometimes I’m scared to go to school because I know someone is going to call me a derogatory name or tell me that I am worthless. I’ve been told I am an abomination; that I will burn in hell; and other words I’m not even allowed to say.

While it’s been difficult, I know I’m luckier than many other kids who don’t have the support of their family and friends. My family always has my back and they love me just as I am. And I have a great counselor who helps me through the difficult times and a few friends who support me no matter what.

It’s not easy to be anything but what society considers to be “normal.”

I know that I will continue to face trials, but I also know that I am brave enough to get through them.

And I hope that along the way, I can help change a few minds and shatter that box that people try to fit me into.

Anti-bullying organizations

to get help or get involved with

bornthisway.foundation

Born This Way Foundation, co-founded and led by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, supports the mental health of young people and works with them to build a kinder and braver world. Through high-impact programming, youth-led conversations, and strategic, cross-sectoral partnerships, the Foundation aims to make kindness cool, validate the emotions of young people, and eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health.

itgetsbetter.org

The It Gets Better Project is a nonprofit organization with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth around the globe. They envision a world where all LGBTQ+ youth are free to live equally and know their worthiness and power as individuals.

stompoutbullying.org

STOMP Out Bullying™ is the leading national nonprofit dedicated to changing the culture for all students. It works to reduce and prevent bullying, cyberbullying and other digital abuse, educates against homophobia, LGBTQIA+ discrimination, racism and hatred, and deters violence in schools, online and in communities across the country.

thetrevorproject.org

The mission of The Trevor Project is to end suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning young people. Their vision is a world where all LGBTQ young people see a bright future for themselves.

MODEL Mohamed Eddouf instagram.com/med_douf

PHOTOGRAPHER Houcine Ncib instagram.com/houcinencibphotography

PHOTOGRAPHER + MODEL Houcine Ncib instagram.com/houcinencibphotography

STYLIST Soumaya Achour instagram.com/houcinencibphotography

Kerri and Nikki

Matt, Michael, Nikki and Kerry

by

The sound of grief exploded from my body. I imagine it was frightening to my mom and friend who were there to witness it. It was so guttural and loud and exuded sheer pain that my friend asked if she should go. I was shocked that she would think I wanted her to leave. And then I realized how awful I must sound. I immediately pulled myself together.

“No, don’t leave.”

I didn’t want to be alone and yet I felt completely alone.

I don’t remember what my mom said, if anything. Not prone to expressing emotion, mom was a pull-yourself-up-by-your-

bootstraps kind of parent. I don’t say that with denigration, but with admiration for her strength. She was of a generation that took life’s hits without pulling others into their private nightmare. I imagine her pain being deep and intense at the loss of her grandson, and the complete inability to soothe the pain, that I, her daughter, was feeling. And without her stoic example, I don’t believe I would have ever survived what I went through.

Those are the opening paragraphs to the newest version of my memoir: the one I have begun to write more times than I care to count. I start sometimes with the

After they came and took Michael’s body from the house, I laid, in a fetal position, on the hospital bed in front of the living room window, and released a sound I didn’t know I could make.

Mary Anne Ruddis

first cancer diagnosis of my daughter at 16 months old. Other times I start with her secondary cancer diagnosis at seven. One version begins with my early life experiences and what shaped me and gave me the various attitudes that carried me through some of the most difficult experiences I never saw coming. Sometimes I start with my daughter’s death at nine years old. And now, this version, finds me beginning with my son’s death at 12.

This version may stick. Or it may not. It

may go by the wayside like the others.

Even as I write this, I realize that I have never started with my husband’s death. It was not an insignificant loss. Yet, with his death four months before my daughter, also from cancer, the intensity of my grief didn’t so much pale in comparison to the grief I felt when my daughter died, as it brought into focus the significance of the particular relationships we forge in this life and what that severance can mean.

I’ve heard that a writer writes because they believe that the world needs to hear what they have to say. I’m not convinced that the world needs to hear what I have to say but rather that I need to hear it. Writing helps me unravel the complexities of life and if these words connect with another, it is because there is truth beyond my individual circumstances that is universal.

Books have been an integral part of my journey. Stories of others’ experiences not only introduced me to new perspectives of the world, but, at the same time, they let me know that I wasn’t alone.

So, I pick up my pen, and, from a new angle, a new perspective, and a bit more life experience, I begin again. At some point, all these beginnings will lead to an ending.

My daughter Nikki was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancerous tumor that presented in her upper right arm when she was 16 months old. We found it early (not always the case with this lifethreatening kind of tumor) because when she swung her arm backward, we could see it. The tumor was removed entirely surgically, but as an added precaution, and because of the deadly nature of this cancer, a course of aggressive chemotherapy was

prescribed. For the next two years my daughter endured horrific treatments that promised to save her life but also nearly killed her.

I was three months pregnant with my son Michael at the time and he was born into chaos: a newborn who had to take a backseat to hospital stays, wild emotions, and the life-threatening nature of his sister’s treatments.

He was also an anchor that gave me faith that all would be well. I remember coming home from the hospital late at night and picking him up from his crib where he was sleeping so soundly and peacefully. I would sit and rock him feeling overwhelming gratitude that he entered our world.

Just after Nikki’s treatments ended, my third child Matthew was born. He brought renewed hope back to our family. Active

Michael and Matt

Matt, Michael and Nikki

Mary Anne and Matt

treatment for Nikki had ended, Michael was a toddler, and this shining newborn entered the world surrounded by gratitude. His nature and disposition brought light after the subsiding storm of active cancer treatments.

We enjoyed three years of everydayness that lulled me by its normalcy: marital strife, financial worries, and the sheer exhaustion of being a working mom of three children. The previous years had taken a toll and we had barely begun to regain our equilibrium when my husband, Kerry, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left thigh. We were once again catapulted into life-anddeath problems.

Brutal treatments, hospitals, doctors, and clinging to hope of survival started again. Kerry was sure that he wouldn’t survive because he had prayed that when Nikki was sick, that God would take the cancer from her and give it to him. He wanted to save her, to give his own life so that his daughter could live. He thought his prayer had been answered.

But he was wrong. A year into his treatments Nikki was diagnosed with a secondary cancer of leukemia that came as a result of the treatments she received to cure her first cancer. I spent a lot of years wondering if the first cancer could have been successfully eradicated with surgery alone. Perhaps in a parallel universe that question is answered, but for me, now, in this world, it’s irrelevant.

Kerry and Nikki both died in 1994 just four months from each other. Kerry died on April 3 and Nikki on August 6. I find an odd comfort in the doubled dates of

Kerry’s death – 4/3 to Nikki’s on 8/6. It reinforced in my mind a pattern, a plan, a destiny.

With sorrow in our hearts but hope for the future, I moved my newly redesigned family of myself and two sons from California to Washington. We needed a fresh start after years in a tumultuous whirlwind.

We settled in and began to build a new life and were again lulled, this time by three years of normalcy: grief counseling, school decisions, and career choices took center stage, our problems centering around adjusting to our new family structure and new home.

And then Michael was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When he died just two years later at 12 years old, I discovered new depths of sorrow. I truly did not know how I could feel such pain and yet, keep breathing.

After Kerry and Nikki’s deaths, I discovered a spirituality that reinforced in me that their lives continued and that we were still connected but in a different way – and that one day we’d be reunited.

When Michael died, that belief crumbled. The pattern, the plan, the destiny that I could so clearly see earlier, descended into a darkness of chaos,

Stories of others’ experiences not only introduced me to new perspectives of the world, but, at the same time, they let me know that I wasn’t alone.

randomness, and disconnection.

Matthew and I needed to find, once again, a way to redesign our family. Matthew moved into his brother’s bedroom and Michael’s friends became his new friends’ circle. I found nonprofit work that took my sorrow and pain and turned it into something meaningful and purposeful.

New doorways and new understandings were presented when I garnered the courage to step through unfamiliar doors. The only way for me to survive without a life sentence of sorrow and bitterness was to find these new connections.

The thing about grief and tragedy is that life continues no matter how much we wish it could stop. Eventually everyone will grieve and we must find our own way forward.

I remember seeing the TV footage the morning of September 11, 2001 and thinking, not only has the consciousness of America changed forever, but that the country now knew how I felt every day. Life is uncertain. Tragedy strikes without reason. The world can change in a heartbeat. It’s one thing to know this intellectually and quite another thing to know it emotionally

We think we have the answers to life, what it should be, but really, we don’t even know the questions.

I grew up with a set of instructions: work hard, be faithful, and the good will be rewarded and the bad punished. The measure of a good life, I was told, is prosperity and a perfect family welcoming new children as elders passed away after long and happy lives.

Yet, as many of us have discovered, bad things do happen to good people – all of the time. Loss comes to all of us and we have to

try and make sense of it.

When my son died, I was not the same person I was when my daughter died. I thought that I had a roadmap through grieving, yet I discovered there was no map. I felt as if I was in new and uncharted territory even though I had experienced such great loss already.

But I had a determination to keep going – for me and my son – and a willingness to let go of cherished beliefs and learn new ways of understanding life.

I had choices to make. Sometimes those choices led to more sorrow and pain and sometimes away from that. Sometimes choices even led to happiness and joy.

I didn’t let grief define who I am, but rather, I allowed it to reveal who I can be. The human spirit is strong and resilient and I get to decide who I can become.

As a lifelong learner, I know that the answers I seek may be to questions not yet formulated.

Grief brings to the forefront the fundamental question of “why we are here at all?” Our lives weave through heartache and joy for some as-yet-to-be-defined end.

The interdependence of life, the truth that we are all connected, is felt so strongly when the physical connection gets severed. And depending on our personal belief systems, those connections can extend beyond the physical.

I have returned to embrace, on a much deeper level, the truth that the bonds beyond the physical are never severed.

Time alone did not bring me from those early grief-stricken days when I could barely breathe to where I am today. Time was necessary, but daily choices to be at peace with heartache pull me forward to try and live my best life.

Mary Anne Ruddis is the Executive Director of Elevations: A Children’s Therapy Resource Foundation. Elevations is a Spokane County nonprofit that provides crucial funding for access to therapy services and home therapy equipment for children with special needs. Mary Anne is also an occasional writer as well as a Certified Grief Educator having completed a certificate program designed by world-renowned grief expert, David Kessler. She is a graduate of Gonzaga University and lives in Spokane Valley, WA.

maryanneruddis.com

To learn more about Mary Anne , listen to Beneath Your Beautiful podcast Episode 102

Cris Telles’ relationship with photography began with curiosity. She had a camera with many features, but didn’t know how to shoot outside of automatic mode.

She sought out courses on the Internet, improved her skills and continues to seek intense new challenges.

PHOTOGRAPHER: Cris Telles instagram.com/cristeles.teles

unjaded

MODEL Jade Adair facebook.com/sonderrealtygroup instagram.com/sonderrealtygroup

PHOTOGRAPHER Hara Allison instagram.com/hara_allison_photography hara.photography

LOCATION Cease & Desist Book Club instagram.com/ceaseanddesist_book_club ceaseanddesistbookclub.com

STUDIO H creative is an award-winning design firm. After 32 years in business, we’ve done it all. Branding, web design, annual reports, event collateral, packaging, social media graphics, photography, email marketing, brochures, flyers, posters, cards, menus and editorial design – including Beneath Your Beautiful magazine!

Pawel Cwalina

Paweł Cwalina was born in 1974 and has studied at the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He has a diploma with honors in the studio of publishing graphics of Prof. Lech Majewski, annex in painting in the studio of Prof. Zygmunt Magner and annex in drawing in the studio of Prof. Henryk Gostynski.

Paweł Cwalina needs an impulse that motivates him to act: he looks for emotions in faces and finds in each person a different expression, a different mood.

The process of creation is sometimes more important to him that the final result. Art is simply his path to follow.

Lindsey Shedd is a children’s portrait and fine art photographer and is drawn to colorful, moody and lowlight images. After her son was born, she quit her job as a Labor and Delivery RN and developed her love of photography. Lindsey can’t learn enough about her craft, taking numerous classes, workshops and courses. She loves the challenge of photography and the unique opportunities it presents. Lindsey’s favorite subjects are her children. She loves the ebb and flow of each day as she documents sweet, still moments with them.

She is currently a wife of 20+ years and mama to a half a dozen. Her family lives in the beautiful state of Colorado. Lindsey teaches photography classes and mentors others.

PHOTOGRAPHER Lindsey Shedd instagram.com/linds_shedd

depression

MANY FACES OF

depression

by James Williams

I know the transition from grade school to middle school can be

Even at that young age, I knew I was affected. I asked my parents to take me to the doctor to possibly get medication, only to find out they didn’t believe in the chemical imbalance known as depression. With no clarifying questions or desire to dig further, they chose to ignore it.

They never knew the thoughts that were running through my head. They never knew how I played with my toys – putting the barrel of a toy gun to my head, imagining with a quick click, all my pain could be gone. I even contemplated trading that empty cap for my dad’s loaded 9 mil. Luckily, other than the emotional torment I put myself through I never did any physical self-harm.

In high school I was forced to endure the accidental death of my best friend. The pain I felt at that time could have been a breaking point for me, but instead it was a turning point. Feeling all of that pain and knowing that I wasn’t alone made me realize that I could never knowingly put my friends and family through that.

A few years later, while working at a youth camp, I was able to relate with

one of the kids that was going through the recent loss of a friend. I let him know that he wasn’t alone.

As an adult, I now know that my depression is genetic. I was in my twenties before I found out my mom had been on depression medication for years. At first, I was ashamed to tell her that I was on depression medication and seeing a counselor. Now we share often and counseling really helps! Reaching out to a doctor, counselor, family or friend can be your way out of the darkness.

I still ride the roller coaster of depression, but at least now I have medication and a support system to help manage my emotions and make them bearable.

Since getting help, I have completed a marathon, 2 triathlons, started my own business, got married and have a kid on the way!

Sometimes, we put up a facade to be around others and this doesn’t always match the way we feel or the struggles we are experiencing. There are many faces of depression. But, like me, I hope others reach for their dreams and never give up. «

MODEL James Williams lifeeditphotography.com instagram.com/lifeeditphotography

PHOTOGRAPHER Hara Allison instagram.com/hara_allison_photography hara.photography

crisistextline.org

Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, highquality text-based mental health support and crisis intervention by empowering a community of trained volunteers to support people in their moments of need.

copenotes.com

Cope Notes uses text messages to improve mental and emotional health.

To learn more about the founder of Cope Notes, Johnny Crowder, a suicide/abuse survivor, listen to Beneath Your Beautiful podcast Episode 83

by Pilar García Sanz

The passage of time in human existence produces a kind of inexplicable void. The sense of temporality is expressed through small events that remain fixed in our memory for inexplicable reasons. We remember a sentence, a conversation with a friend, that day of an indeterminate year when you were dejected, a look, a dress that you used when you were with someone you never saw again... Art and artistic representation, then, allow us to visibly record those feelings that sometimes remain hidden because they are part of a state of mind that we are not aware of and that only manifests itself when we channel it materially through an artistic work, taking it outside of ourselves before it disappears into oblivion.

Artists have a special way of stopping time, they do it by recording the instant in which a feeling arises. If we are sensitive to the reality we inhabit, little by little, we will experience its influence and, if we attend to it, it will flood us with passion at every moment. The immediacy of the graphic-plastic representation makes it possible to catch this moment and retain it. The physical extension of our brain, the hand, acts as a transmitter of that more subtle and profound feeling that escapes verbalization and, like a kind of seismograph, will record each psychic vibration obeying an unknown command. Many times, I have attened with surprise, the emergence of an image

in my paintings, with no approach, me, only concerned about connecting with thatinner world that has motivated an emotion. The desire to find a hidden feeling sharing silent dialogue with my mind.

The images of the faces that I show are archetypes of a feeling; they help us to identify ourselves as human beings and to understand their emotion as related to us but they do not refer to real people, they do not exist as a concrete human reality. They are only visual metaphors that connect us with feelings non-verbalizable. In my works I reflect moods, concordances with what excites me and attracts me as a human being who experiences the evolution of existence. «

Visual artist of Spanish nationality, Pilar studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Madrid, training in the fields of drawing, painting, engraving, design, photography, among others. She developed her studies at the Center of Design and Fashion in Madrid of the Polytechnic University, the International Center for Contemporary Prints of the University of Vigo and the Menéndez Pelayo International University.

Pilar taught in various educational centers, Secondary Education Centers, Schools of Fine Arts and Design in Madrid, Salamanca and Huesca for more than 20 years in the simultaneous development of artistic and teaching activity.

As an artist, Pilar questions every life experience as a source of self-knowledge and creative inspiration. The supervision of the creative process in the teaching of drawing allows her to approach the mechanisms of generation and development of ideas, and critically observe the work sequences to optimize creative resources.

The artist uses material means to communicate but, above all, expresses deep-rooted knowledge. Whether through literature, music, drawing or painting, the immaterial and subtle nature of art transforms words, sounds or shapes and colors into something transcendent that connects us with our inherent essence

ARTIST Pilar Garcia Sanz instagram.com/ssue_ssue19 instagram.com/ssue_ssue22

PHOTOGRAPHER

Laura Froese paraphrasephoto.com instagram.com/paraphrasephoto

PHOTOGRAPHER Belov Evgeny instagram.com/b_e_l_o_v____

MODEL instagram.com/Karl_gerat03

Sammy Kissee

by Sammy Kissee

My social impact platform, not only during my pageants, but also in my daily life, is to encourage youth, teens and young adults to get out in their community and serve. I encourage everyone to find what brings them joy and figure out a way to do it and bring joy to others at the same time.

For instance, babysitting for a family that needs extra help because you love spending time with kids. You can also volunteer in the children’s area of your church to bless the parents who want to sit in service without distraction. It’s a win-win!

If you are more of an animal person, try volunteering at a local shelter by walking dogs and playing with cats. There is always a need for that and it’s very rewarding. You can even foster animals for a short time to get them ready for their forever home.

If your talent is baking, whip up a batch of cookies and share it with an elderly

neighbor or take it to a senior center. Seniors love having young people come and sit with them or play card games.

Volunteering can start at any age. So, there’s no need to feel intimated if you’re doubting yourself. There’s a place for everyone, so be encouraged to be a changemaker in your community.

If you just aren’t sure what the right fit would be, start helping with nonprofits – they always appreciate extra hands. I work with Stop the Silence and the Isaac Foundation at their community events. Stop the Silence brings awareness to domestic abuse and helps those involved get help. Isaac Foundation supports autistic children and their families.

During a sermon, when I was about 10 years old, my pastor said something that helped me find my passion. “If you are not sure where to start, find what breaks your heart and

I have been serving my community with my family since before I can remember. It is second nature for me to help wherever I am needed. It has always been our thing to go out and use our time, talent and treasures to make the world a brighter place. When I serve others, I do it to glorify God and to be a light in the world. Doing acts of kindness quietly is so rewarding.

PHOTOGRAPHER Hara Allison instagram.com/hara_allison_photography hara.photography

MODEL Sammy Kissee

go do something about it.” That really stuck with me. A short time later in San Felipe, Mexico – my family and I spend a lot of time there – I noticed the large number of stray dogs running the streets. They looked thin and unhealthy, desperate for food and water. It broke my heart to see them suffer, so, I partnered with a local man named Charlie who ran the dog shelter. I made dog collars out of paracord and also sewed crafts and sold them at a local fair. I was able to raise a nice amount of money to donate to the dog rescue to help offset the cost of food and vet bills. That was the beginning of a wonderful friendship with Charlie as he encouraged me to keep up the good work and make a difference. That really spurred on my love for helping.

Serving others can look different in so many ways: there is no cookie cutter approach. Besides volunteering your time, you can also use your talents to bring others joy. If you have a great singing voice or can play an instrument, consider using those tools to do good. If you crochet, consider making blankets for those in need. If you are great at hosting, you can open your home and make others feel welcome and loved.

Finally, we have our treasures. If you have the resources and can fill a need for someone, that is a great blessing. It could be buying someone a meal or paying for a friend’s lunch at school. All of these things are a way to do good in the world and good deeds are contagious.

If everyone in the world made time each day to do one act of kindness or encourage a stranger with a compliment or a helping hand, just imagine what a better place the world could be! «

Sammy Kissee is a 16-year-old girl with a heart of gold. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Sam most of her life and have witnessed her volunteering since the age of 5 or 6. Her passion for giving started with her love for animals and she saw that a shelter in Mexico needed more resources to be able to take care of their dogs. She has crafted and sold many items over the years, raising thousands of dollars throughout the years for this shelter. She has also given her time and volunteered for the Isaac Foundation as well as my nonprofit, Stop the Silence. Sam was just 11 years old when she started volunteering for us and has been to countless community events and fundraisers over the years. She is a valuable part of our organization and we would be unable to do without volunteers like her.

This year, for Sam’s 16 birthday, she asked her peers and family to donate to an orphanage instead of receiving gifts. Her friends helped her raise $500. I don’t know a lot of teens that would be that selfless: just one more act of kindness and love that Sam has in her heart.

In the last few years Sam has fallen in love with competing in pageants, helping her build confidence and giving her an opportunity to voice the importance of volunteering.

This year she competes in the Miss Spokane pageant and represents our city with grace, compassion and poise. An excellent role model for other teens, she is a leader beyond her years.

I could go on and on about what an outstanding person Sam is. I am beyond proud of this young lady and blessed God has placed her in my life.

Keep Shining Sammy! I love you and can’t wait to see all that you accomplish in this world. Way to be a changemaker!

NOMINATED BY SHAUNA KENNEDY CARR

I am nominating a young woman that has done more than most adults when it comes to giving back to the world.

It was Love at first encounter! Back in 2015, Charlie (my late husband) and I met Sammy. She is the granddaughter of a friend of ours.

Sammy came to take a tour of the dog rescue, VIVA, that my husband ran in San Felipe, Baja. She and her family visited the shelter and just loved playing with all the dogs and puppies.

Charlie explained how we rely on volunteers and donations to keep the rescue running. The next thing Charlie heard was that Sammy had decided to make and sell straps for musical instruments and dog collars so she could donate to the dog rescue!

Charlie was so impressed by this

little girl’s decision to do something that would help the dogs! Since that time, and even more impressive, is that she came up with something every year to make and donate to the rescue, continuing to do so to this day!

Charlie called her one of VIVA’s most important donors and would tell everyone about this incredible young girl’s work and dedication. He hoped that it would help people see how easy it really is to make a difference!

Sammy is caring young lady with a big giving heart.

IN HONOR OF CHARLIE YAQUB

LOVE, MARILYN YAQUB

Sammy is a wonderful example of beauty inside and out. She is smart, kind, compassionate and empathetic which is what makes her so successful as she volunteers her time working with individuals with autism through our organization.

Watching her mature over the past 10 years has been an absolute joy!

HOLLY GOODMAN FOUNDER & EXEC DIRECTOR THE ISAAC FOUNDATION

Sammy and I worked together a few years ago on a collaboration at Sunrise Elementary School when she was the ASB President and I was the PTO President. She came to the PTO with an idea to give each student a flower with a positive message of encouragement on May Day. The phrases and messages were positive affirmations for the children of Sunrise to read and know that they matter and are seen and to give them a sense of belonging. The board loved her idea and fully supported her.

After receiving approval, Sammy and friends got to work. I could see her dedication, passion for the project and giving heart on full display as we worked together to make her vision a reality.

Sammy has always had a heart to give to the greater community and you could see that through this collaborative effort. So much positivity came from her vision. We had several families reach out after the flowers and messages were distributed with heartfelt thanks and appreciation.

Sammy left Sunrise a better place with her act of kindness.

TARA DEPEW

Samantha is authentically loving, compassionate and kind and creates positivity wherever she goes. She selflessly goes above and beyond to help the less fortunate with her vision, action and follow-through. For her birthday this past year, she encouraged her guests to donate to Sonshine Hacienda (an orphanage in San Felipe, Baja California) in lieu of gifts and was able to raise over $550 for them. This is only one of many examples of her way of helping wherever and whenever help is needed. As her grandmother, I am extremely proud of her and love her dearly.

ROBIN KISSEE

To nominate someone who has made a difference in your life or your community, please send an email to: hara @ BeneathYourBeautiful org

I have known Sammy for a few years and have had the privilege to have her part of ONE*Kids ministry. Her natural heart to serve others makes the goal easy – which is to champion the life journey of the children in her care.

I have witnessed her patience, kindness and love for kids really change the atmosphere in the classroom.

The most significant attribute about Sammy is how she lives and represents her faith. I believe she truly reflects what the bible verse Ephesians 2:10 says: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” It’s not always easy to set ourselves apart from the current culture, however, Sammy’s faithfulness really sets her apart. She is making a huge impact in the world around her and for the generations to come!

JENNIFER RAMIREZ ONE* NORTH KIDS DIRECTOR

Sammy Kissee sparkles with an energy and love for others that is contagious. She is the first to greet and welcome others no matter the situation or place. Her vitality draws people in and inspires others to emulate her caring actions.

I have watched her volunteer countless hours of service and never hesitate to do a task: from washing dishes at a fundraising banquet, to serving hot chocolate at pancake feed, to asking for donations to a dog shelter for her birthday. Sammy is always seeking to make the world around her better by lifting the less fortunate up.

Sammy thinks of others first, and her selfless nature makes the environments she serves in brighter.

NICOLE TALBERT

ENOUGH

ENOUGH

ENOUGH is part of Daniel Samray’s IMAGINE and ENOUGH series. Imagine is a trilogy of films focusing on the black lives matter movement. is an ongoing photography series focusing on the rise of black on black violence and black deaths caused by the epidemic of knife crime in London

ENOUGH

PHOTOGRAPHER Daniel Samray instagram.com/blaculadan

MODEL Kevin Enock instagram.com/Iamkevinenock

PHOTOGRAPHER Daniel Samray instagram.com/blaculadan

MODEL Andre Burton instagram.com/justsmizzfrmdao

PHOTOGRAPHER Daniel Samray instagram.com/blaculadan

MODEL Danny Lewis instagram.com/dannywoah

PHOTOGRAPHER Daniel Samray instagram.com/blaculadan

MODEL Aron Moat instagram.com/its.arn.x

PHOTOGRAPHER Daniel Samray instagram.com/blaculadan

MODEL Ben Gad Briggs instagram.com/bgbgbinsta

PHOTOGRAPHER Jennifer Connelly instagram.com/jenniferconnellyphotography jenconnelly.com

Based in Australia, born in Singapore, and raised in China, the United Kingdom, and later the United States, Dili recreates ethereal scenes in his portraits, which are often inspired by fleeting moments like a conversation, daydream or lyrics to a song. His work also features the unique views and the extraordinary daily life scenes that he has accumulated on his travels around the world.

PHOTOGRAPHER Dili Chen instagram.com/peacheslemonmaable

MODEL Tomasz Żygo instagram.com/zygotomasz

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