One thing most people don’t know about me is that I was born in the car on the way to the hospital (in one of the coldest months of the year)! It’s one of my favorite stories to tell and it reminds me of the number one reason why I love being a photographer.

It was the day before my dad’s birthday & Mom told him I was an early birthday gift.

I’m told that for our birthdays, he would order a big strawberry cake from the bakery & he & I would sit at the table & eat it together – no one else was allowed. I’m told that we were like peas in a pod & he was always carrying me around. We’d play hide & seek (my fav hiding spot was under the bed), & snuggle on the bed watching tv together, & during the day we’d watch CHiPs & The Price is Right while my brothers & sister were at school. Mom says my sister would come in to find us & see chocolate wrappers in the garbage & get mad she wasn’t invited to the party! #sorrynotsorry 😏😆

Those are the ways I’ll always remember him. The ways I love to talk about him. And I’ve heard it 50 billion times, but the story of me demanding my bottle of milk at 2 years old & stomping my foot at him “right NOW!” never gets old!

My dad died of pancreatic cancer when I was 5 years old. 25 years ago today. It’s something I don’t talk about much because most people don’t know what to say but the truth is, I LOVE talking about my dad, remembering the few memories I have, & hearing stories about him & I. (Also, am I not the spitting image of him??)

I love the way good memories feel. I love feeling all the feels when you hear the stories. I love being flooded with emotions when you look at old pictures. Smiling without realizing it, knot in your throat, eyes welling with tears & yet, you’re happy. Isn’t that weird? You’re crying but you’re happy. All from a photo. This is why I love being a photographer. I love being able to give that treasure to you, too ❤️