I’d like to introduce you to two very important people. My grandfather Charles and my grandmother Bea. As some of you know, Grandma Bea was laid to rest on her birthday, June 9. It was a bitter sweet moment as we knew she is whole and healthy and rejoicing with Jesus while we here are sad for our separation. It is wonderful to know that we will see her again through the hope we have in Christ.

My grandmother was a very special woman. She loved freely and expressed it with her twinkling brown eyes. I have never, ever wondered about whether both she and my grandpa prayed for and loved me. What a wonderful gift! While I was visiting my family in Tennessee for the funeral my uncle gave me what I think could be one of the most special things I’ve ever received. It was a bag of old photographs of my dad’s family. In it we found these pictures posted here and other wonderful treasures. I am sure you can imagine how much I cherish these images and what an impact seeing my grandparents so young and in love has had on me. I have quite the heritage of marriage! My dad’s parents had just celebrated 54 years of marriage and my mother’s parents have recently celebrated their 50th as well!

As I looked through the pictures in the bag and speculated about which uncle was hunting for easter egg baskets or laughing at my dad in the high chair during his first birthday party, I realized something that has really impacted me. The photographs I take each day are connected to this experience for someone else. Each bride I capture walking down the aisle will be someone’s mother, grandmother on a very important day for their family. Each baby boy who gives me a smile is the future uncle or cousin of a group of laughing children pointing out his funny clothes. The best part about it is that I don’t know who took this picture. I have no idea who was behind the camera, whether they were asked to kiss or spontaneously chose to. AND it doesn’t matter! My photographs today are part of someone’s tomorrow, next year, fifty years from now and my desire to capture each couple enjoying the love God has given them is exactly what will make an impact on their families. It’s not going to be about the awesome post processing or the way it stacked up against other photographers. it’s just about capturing a moment between two people who will touch so many others in the future. I can only thank God for so many opportunities to be a part of these memories!

Side note: this experience has also encouraged me to print more of my own photographs. Who knows how files will be accessed or read or what screens they can view on. Printed photographs can be shared, framed and passed on from generation to generation without worries about hard drive safety or scratches on a DVD.

Where do you get your photos printed?