Wishes Come True in a Plethora of Ways
Skinny White Girl
by Misty J Hoyt
owner/lead photographer
Have you ever wondered to yourself when a wish was granted why-oh-why you asked for it in the first place?
I always think of the Bethany Hamilton story. As a reminder, she is the surfer who at 13 years old lost her arm to a shark. She had been praying for a way she could use her championship skills for something bigger than herself. Little did she know that God would kick start that journey in such a traumatic way.
In honor of Black History Month, I’d like to share a funny, yet sad and quite ridiculous story. And, yes, it will eventually tie into wishes being granted in mysterious ways.
A friend (and also a headshot client) of mine, who we will call Savannah, is what doctors would describe as clinically obese. Because Savannah’s body size matches the grandeur of her personality, she and her husband have been put through Holy Hell. His parents tried breaking them up while they were dating and still to this day are disgusted that their son fell in love with a woman who doesn’t fit their Barbie-Doll criteria of a daughter in law. Never mind the fact she loves her man unconditionally, even his parents’ hatred can’t erase her smile. She is one of the strongest God-loving Christians I have ever met.
Let’s fast forward: this couple’s other son eventually fell in love, too. And what an obedient son he is - he fell in love with a skinny girl. And they lived happily ever after, right? Not quite. Mom and Dad may have wished for a Barbie-thin girl to call daughter, but they were thinking a pre-80s Mattel version. You see, their other daughter-in-law’s skin might be slightly tanner than B’s sun-kissed caucasian skin. She is a beautiful black woman.
The diversity we see at Christmas is incredible. I believe it is a sign that, alas, America may be tracking in the right direction. When we brought Black Santa on board, it was to give children a Santa who looked like them. In 2020, that's exactly what we attracted (accompanied by tears of gratitude and accolades for answered prayers) with our offerings. In 2021, our Black Santa clients were as varied as the student body at the University of Houston. Dreams really do come true- often delivered in ways larger than we expected.
Fortunately, Savannah and her sister in law have a sense of humor. I mean, if they don’t laugh about it, what are they going to do - divorce their husbands?
“We always joke with one another,” Savannah told me. “When praying for a skinny daughter-in -law, they forgot to pray for a skinny WHITE daughter-in-law.”
This month, we at Photography by Misty are celebrating love, we are celebrating Black History Month and we are celebrating diverse families. And, no discrimination here. While we are excited to create headshots, corporate event images, family portraits and more for our clients from Dallas, Plano, Frisco and beyond, we are even more thrilled our clients are as diverse as our team.
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