Catch Me If You Can

My wife and I have learned some lessons as a family the hard way. The only family portrait we ever had made was with a photographer that came to our home. He returned with the proofs and we selected a portrait that we liked. We were to pay when he returned with the finished portraits. As a young family, we were excited about receiving our family portrait. Regrettably, the photographer was unable to return with our portraits because of personal problems in his own family.

Over the years, the time just never seemed right to have a family portrait taken again. Mostly, we just never thought about it. We took a few snapshots of our children with the compact cameras of the day but sadly never got around to processing them.

So, in the end, we have a few school pictures of our children and "that's all." We have no family portraits at all.

The word, "someday," resounds in my thoughts from time to time. As a grandfather, time has taught me one of life's hard lessons: "Someday" is Today. Time passes all too quickly. Children grow up, move away, begin making a new life and raising their own families. If I could, I would go back and have those portraits made of my children and family, but that's no longer possible.

Life's hardest lessons can be a burden or an opportunity. I choose to pro-actively take the opportunity to make a difference. Taking portraits of children and families for me is more a "calling" than a business. If there is anything learned from my own personal lessons, it's that I continually take the opportunity to encourage my family-at-large to "make the time" to have portraits taken of their family and children. I will spend the rest of my days grasping for memories, each moment, every expression my family has to offer as if my life depended on it in the form of a photograph. It's just that important! (Alright, take a deep breath. Paul.)

My grandchildren will call out to me, "Catch Me If You Can - Granddad." The truth is they really do mean it. Proudly, the two boys in the children's portrait are my grand children.