August 9, 1994

Yes, I meant to put that date in the title of the post.  I did it because it's a weird day.  It was a weird day.  And it comes around every year.  Some years it hits me on August 9.  Some years it hits me on a day that's on the opposite side of the calendar.  But, this year it's hitting today.

On August 9, 1994, my dad suddenly passed away.  A few years ago, I wrote a post called Half of My Life Ago that still brings tears to my eyes, but I would be honored if you would read it again.  It would explain where I'm coming from and where God has brought me and why I'm even writing this post.

Being a wedding photographer reminds me of what happened more often than not.  I still remember the night my dad died going into my mom's bathroom as she was getting ready for bed and asking her, at my young age of 14, who was going to give me away on my wedding day.  It's every little girl's dream to put on the white dress and walk arm in arm with her daddy down the aisle toward her soon-to-be-husband.

And while I won't have that moment with my dad, I am always SO honored to be a part of that moment with other girls and their dads.  The proud look in his eye and the thankful look in hers as the doors open at the back of the church would melt anyone's heart, including mine!  It's so sweet and so precious... and I get to capture that in a photograph.  And I'm so appreciative.

I don't know who will walk me down the aisle when my wedding day arrives.  Shoot, I don't even know yet who I'll be walking down the aisle toward!  What I do know, and am super grateful for, is each of the men who have been like a dad to me over the years.  And I would bet that any of them would be honored to walk me down that aisle :-)

 Michael G. Lewis

Feb 12, 1949 - Aug 9, 1994