A Big Sissy Cries at Family Photo Day

I'm a big sissy. I cry a lot more these days. I'm still a big tough guy and will ride motorcycles, use duct tape instead of Band-Aids and will even let my wife iron my shirts while I'm wearing them, but still, I find myself more tender and aware of other people's pain these days. That's a good thing.



We had a family photo taken recently, generously arranged by HopeKids and donated by CT Ryan Studios.

HopeKids is an amazing and very generous organization that focuses on families with kids who are battling life-threatening illness. They host these ongoing events and create environments where families can have fun, be a family, and take a break from a disease.

At a recent HopeKids event, they arranged for family photos to be provided free of charge, knowing it is especially difficult for families with sick kids to find time or the emotional strength to go and arrange a photo session.



Several photographers donated their time and the families poured in to wait their turn and capture a little moment in life. I wish I could share with you some of the photos that were taken that day. You would see a few silly families, like ours, that were past the critical point of their treatment and were expecting great things ahead.

But most of the families you would see would be gathered around a wheelchair with a little life hanging on. Some families had a near-confident look in their eyes as they bravely posed with their terminally ill child.

I realized that for a few there that day, this would be their last family photo with their child on this side of eternity. And that is when I cried a little.

If you are someone's rich aunt or even if you just have been looking for a way to bring some comfort, laughter, or hope to someone's life, please consider a financial gift to HopeKids. I can guarantee you will make a difference in someone's life, but I can't promise you won't cry a little in the process.