I recently celebrated my birthday, and with that came some time to reflect. I took a break from the mad rush of life and the draining desire to live every single moment—I stopped to exhale. As the big day approached, my wife asked if there was anything special I wanted to do. But there wasn’t much I was interested in doing to celebrate the day of my birth. That’s sad, you say. Well, my wife said the same thing. Not in so many words, but I sensed her concern that I may not be taking the passing of the years as well as I made it seem. So we spent the morning out with the kids. We made it back to the house and had some cake, at which point I decided to take some photos. And right there in the viewfinder, I breathed the oxygen of life, the essence of what makes life what it is. I snapped many photos that day. I decided to share with you the one that captured what I felt. In that moment, I did not long for the next; I knew this was life – simple, quiet, still. I inhaled. My wife and boys helped me to be still for just a moment. I’m forever grateful I have the time to do what I do.
