This past June, my side of the family met up at a cabin near the Finger Lakes in Upstate NY. My camera doesn’t always come along when it’s tired, but being at the start of the summer, I was feeling charged and snapped a few pics as my family played.

As we swam, fished, played games, and hiked, we had no idea that my dad’s heart was a ticking time bomb. I remember commenting to my sister-in-”love” that he seemed much slower this summer than last, but we chalked it up to age and his sedentary work. I will say that my eyes and lens lingered a little longer on him that vacation. There was a fragility to him that formed a knot in my stomach and my camera was hungry to capture the man whose love has been my bedrock.

On August 2nd I got the call. Dad was having crushing chest pain and was heading to the ER. Four days later, I was by his side in MI as he woke up from a quadruple bypass. It’s been a long road but he’s on the mend and, for now, he’s been given more time and I’m filled with gratitude.

Time is the most valuable currency we have. I’m planning to spend it on my folks a bit more in the coming year.