It's not too often that I find myself forgetting my inner child, forgetting where I started, or forgetting how to laugh. Many people will never understand the struggle that a child goes through trying to identify with what is real and what isn't. At the most formidable stages of life, it's all about the excitement, the ice cream, and the moments/adventure followed by the statements of "I want to..."

Well, I want to tell you that my family bonds stretch further than 23 and Me (or you). I've been adopted by a few people around this beautiful world of ours and I've been allowed to witness just how quickly time is leaving us, time is changing.

There's a certain quality when it comes being vulnerable, a quality that escapes many due to their fear of retribution by the hands of others who deem themselves masters of...

I've often stated the obvious to people, the moment we're born, we begin to die or better yet, "We're born and then we die, the time in between these stages is called the journey, it's called life." This isn't a piece about the final stages of life, when we're old; if we're lucky to make it that far, however, it's about the stages of growth.

For the last last few years, I've been lucky enough to have been invited to a block party, of sorts, which is held by a neighbor within my cul-de-sac. Their families and guests of their family show up to the party by the dozens and as one can imagine, over the course of this time, parents have kids and the kids sprout into teenagers, and the teenagers sprout into adults and the cycle continues.

Years ago, I photographed one of the many kids, referenced above, during an Easter egg hunt and it was in that very moment time stood still for a moment and I thought, "I wonder what she's going to grow into?" You see, she was about the laughter, the exploration, of the "hunt", of the adventure/moment.

This year, as I sat quietly at a table, drinking my water and vodka, I observed time moving in front of me; really, I thought of how I never had the opportunity to wade in a kiddie pool with any of my cousins. I know it's a thought to the reader that might now seem as much but in my own reality it's time which was erased completely. I digress.

As I sat quietly at a table, I focused in on the three kids shown in the picture. Their reaction was to the arrival of one of their cousins and I thought this is that moment in time when it all lines up properly yet again for a moment to be captured. IF I'm lucky to be here a year from now and lucky enough to receive another invite, I'm certain time will have shifted a bit more and new line will be found.

Again, I'm only looking for lines no cracks, smiles no frowns, moments of the here and the now.