Diandra Jo

I have always deeply admired the dreamers of our world. You know, those wild people who tend to have a knack for looking at some difficult situation and envisioning a better reality, a reality that dares to glisten with hope. Diandra Jo is one of those dreamers – the kind that don’t lose site of their vision just because some obstacles block their way. She’s the kind of dreamer who fights off fear with a sassy remark, who sparks giggles even where there is heartbreak, who defeats insecurities by speaking the truth. She’s a dreamer who thrives as mother and a wife, who identifies as a daughter of the Lord, and who believes that all three of these roles are a foundation for a deeper impact on the world, not a reason to place it safe.

I met Diandra a little over ten years ago. At the time, I was a struggling freshman in high school and Diandra was a sassy swim instructor in her early twenties. And yet somehow, amidst the chaos that comes with high school hormones and figuring out what it means to be an adult, we grew to call each other “sister.”

“We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational, and so disciplined they can be free.”

~Kavita Ramdas

In the ten years I’ve known Diandra, I’ve gotten to witness her discover her faith and flourish in newfound passion and purpose. I’ve gotten to join in her giddiness as she told  of her first “I love you” with her future husband. I’ve gotten to stand beside her, wearing cowgirl boots, on her most perfect wedding day. And I’ve gotten to watch with joy as she became a momma and made me an aunt to the two sweetest nieces. And through all of these massive life transitions, she has proven to be a woman who knows exactly who she is, who claims her own worth, who calls out the value in other people, who doesn’t back down, and who loves her people and her God fiercely.

“People are prettiest when they talk about something they really love with passion in their eyes.”

~ k.v.h.

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”

~ Friedrich Nietzsche

And at the center of this strong, faithful woman is a BRILLIANT sense of humor that pours buckets of joy into whatever she does. Here are some of my favorites from this shoot, simply because they capture the joy and sass of my sister so very well:

To the dreamer and sister who taught me that marriage and faith and risk are always worth it, cheers to your new ventures in business and writing. Our world desperately needs more people who love and dream like you do.