In the spring of 2010 I was living in southeast Ohio, in Appalachia, where turning down a road would lead to hollers with old homes and trailers tucked into the hills. I had noticed the growing number of grandparents raising their grandchildren in the area — often because their parents were affected by the opioid crisis. A social worker gave me the name and number of Lorrie Casto, a grandmother raising her three grandchildren, who were 2, 3 and 8 years old at the time. Casto invited me into their lives with open arms and we started a relationship, which I documented in a recent photo essay for Times Opinion, that would span the next 15 years. Working with this family taught me photography as an act of presence. I’ve learned that meaningful moments often take time to unfold. What might have seemed like a small moment — scrounging together dinner, trying on homecoming dresses, friction with family members over messes and broken vehicles — could all hold greater meaning in the context of a family’s life. The longer you stay, the more you understand that stories aren’t linear; they unfold over time, with gaps, pauses and varied rhythms. Documenting a family for 15 years has been a journey of continuous observation and reflection. Continuity becomes an act of care, a commitment to telling the story over time, without rushing toward conclusions or resolutions. I’ve witnessed birthdays, funerals, fights and reconciliations. I’ve felt grief, frustration, affection and love. I’ve seen struggle, but I’m not there to fix it — I’m there to see it clearly, and to help others do the same. At times, I wrestle with the tension between being a documentarian and becoming a confidant, advocate or even a quasi-family member. That duality is ethically and emotionally complex. But ultimately, my role is not just to see; it’s also to stay. And in staying, to honor the fullness of a life that many might otherwise overlook.
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