"Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes." - Henry David Thoreau
We live further away from our family than we'd like and cherish the time we get to spend with them during visits home. On Easter, we were lucky to have grandparents from both sides come to stay with us. One of my favorite things about visiting with family is watching my son play with them. It's so rewarding to see the love between them and to appreciate how all our lives are enriched with their presence.
One of the hardest things about family visits is trying not to document every single minute of it. Even I don't want to wade through that many photos. But just as importantly, I want to be a part of the memories, not just capture them. And that can be hard to do when I'm fighting the urge to capture every moment. :-) Oh, and I'd also like to be in the pictures occasionally too! But more on that next week...
We were lucky enough (after several years of trying!) to time the visit with peak bloom of the Cherry Blossoms in DC. And it turns out the Jefferson Memorial makes for great toddler climbing (as long as you can catch them before they go for a swim in the Tidal Basin!).
Whatever pressure I feel as the family photographer is worth it when my son climbs into my lap and asks to see these pictures again and again. It's hard to say goodbye, but the distance is made a little easier with moments like these captured to remember for a lifetime.
