PHOTO EPISTLE #47 – Don’t Blink

When Leslie and I were first married, I told her that I prefered not to have any kids. God must have laughed, because we had five wonderful children. Each have given us a ton of joy…and a few days of pain. As it will turn out, all four of my kids will have gotten married in a six month span. Last week, I did one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do… I gave my daughter away to to a young man. Aaron is actually a wonderful young man who has done a good job establishing himself as a man. At this writing, we are on our way to pick them up from the airport after they return from their honeymoon.

I remember when Kaitlin was first born. Leslie had wanted a home birth with a midwife and so when Kaitlin came out, I was in position to actually catch her. When I held her up to show her mom and announce “she is a girl”, Leslie screamed for joy. Kaitlin has been a joy ever since. In fact, all of my kids have been such a joy.  Raising them has been the best part of my life, and I’ve had a great, adventurous life as a well-traveled photojournalist.  Nothing even comes close to the joy that all my children have brought me, but especially Kaitlin.  She has grown to be a woman of God that even my wife looks up to and admires. From  the day she was born, I’ve been praying for the man who would one day marry my daughter. So, I’ve been praying for Aaron since he was born, to grow and become the man and husband God called him to be. My Kaitlin is blessed to have him as her man…but not near as lucky as he is to have Kaitlin as his woman.  Without question, God will use them to bless each other all the days of their lives.  I just have one thing to say to all parents. Don’t blink, they will be gone before you know it.

Psalm 127:3-5   “Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.  As arrows are in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.  Happy, blessed and fortunate is the man whose quiver is full of them!”

The Jesusfreak