Week 2.7: Kiss Her While You Can

Week 2.7: Kiss Her While You Can is a photo from the most recent wedding I did a little over a week ago. I love this shot because the bride is radiant, happy and loved. And, I must admit, I love the brazen confidence of the boy on the left and the disbelief of the boy on the right, who is obviously cooties-conscious. Love it.

I chose this photo because the past week has been a bit of a doozie, and this photo keeps the polar opposites of life in my sights. It makes me hope. It makes me remember the good when face-to-face with the heartbreak.

See, this week my Grandma lost her husband of forty-four years. My Grandpa Louie died. My grandpa who clumsily snuck his chewing tobacco around his dentures while my grandma pretended she didn't notice it. My grandpa who loved candy almost more than life, and definitely more than chewing tobacco. My grandpa who always threatened us that we were due for a whoopin'...but somehow he never got around to it. My grandpa who collected all manner of strange items in his 3 car garage at his mountain cabin. My grandpa who believed in waving at other drivers on the road as we bumped along to and from his friend's house where we would get Mason jars with dripping honeycombs inside.

My grandpa who was a scrapper during his early years. My grandpa who lit up at the age of 80 when you would chant for the Walsenburg Panthers...bet you've never heard of them. They were his small town heroes. My grandpa who swore under his breath and sparkled in his eyes. My grandpa who would put on his glasses and follow his finger across the page as he read the Bible out loud to himself. My grandpa who fought in Korea. My grandpa who married my grandma. My grandpa who loved my mom from the time she was 11. My mom's dad.

That's a big change for our family.

But this week I also had another shock. I'm beginning to show signs of age. It's not all the time, but it's enough to notice. I've seen more than 10 high school graduation announcements from kids I used to babysit. Those were followed by college graduation announcements by more than half of those 10. Those have been chased by the wedding invitations and now the birth announcements are starting to roll in.

But this week our family received news of a different sort. A boy I babysat in the days he referred to "water" as "R-D" for hours while I puzzled over what he could possibly be asking for, a boy who grew up between then and now, a boy who joined the military, a boy who found a girl to love and married her 11 months ago, a boy who was doing a tour in Afghanistan, a boy named Titus...was killed serving our country.

So, in the last 10 days: I took this picture, my grandpa died and I found out Titus is gone. Which is why I titled this week Kiss Her While You Can. Because my Grandpa Louie served our great country and so did Titus...so that I could celebrate marriage and take this week's picture. So that I could find life and liberty and happiness by following hard after things I believe in and making the dreams in my heart a reality. I get to kiss my mom and my sisters and my brothers and my nephews and my niece and my dad and my cousins and my grandparents and my friends pretty much whenever I want because someone fought for that freedom.

I get to walk around in freedom. Call the people I love. Speak my heart with open honesty. Share my world. Hug the necks of loved ones. Thank people for inviting me to share in their lives. Dream big dreams. Live in insane luxury. Come and go as I please. Because of them.

I am humbled. I am thankful. I am heartbroken.

I urge you today to live a life worthy of your calling. Live your life as a demonstration of thankfulness for the sacrifices made for you. Live like it might be your last day. Say what you've been meaning to say. Kiss Her While You Can.