capturing a birthday moment

Over the weekend we had a family gathering to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. I am sure she would like everyone to know that she turned twenty-one. I can vouch for her. ;)

Because I know that I rarely get a picture with my children, I insisted on dragging her and her daughter outside to capture them in her birthday moment. I wanted her to have this moment.

I love the feeling of giving something to someone that I know is needed to restore, encourage, remind them of what they have. (And believe me, my sis-in-law needs some encouragement in this present chapter of her life.) I would want to have the same for myself...a beautiful photo of me and my children on my special day. The joy in the giving is worth more than any dollar amount I could earn in photographing people through my lens. I guess this is what it feels like to have your gift become a gift. And this the place where my joy finds root. 

I do not ever want to lose this feeling.