The gentle spring sunset glowed behind them as he held her in his arms. They had put in the hard work of getting their family ready for this special time. She made sure everyone had clean clothes and knew where their shoes were. He was there making sure everything ran smoothly and guiding the little ones through the rough moments. It hadn’t been easy. It took a lot of effort and work. But together, they did it.

The family photos were done. Each child had been coaxed and encouraged to get a genuine smile. Now it was their moment. As they cuddled in close, it was easy to see the spark between them. The smiles came easy and their laughter was automatic. It’s not easy to raise a family. It’s even harder to raise a family and keep the love alive through the daily grind. I could tell that somehow, through it all, they had found a way to keep each other’s hearts.

Ben and Perpetua, thank you so much for trusting me with these precious years. As cliche as it is, the days truly are long and the years are short. Your children are a true example of parenting done well. Courteous respectful children who can still “be children,” carefree and full of big dreams are rare. Thank you for sharing them with us for an evening and allowing us to capture them as the gifts that they are.