When your kids grow up.

2026, Inspiration, Life's Little Moments, Portrait, Print, Ricoh GR IV

When your kids grow up

 

The house is quieter.

Bigger and emptier.

A little darker too.

 

Walls that contained joy, bickering, tears

Sit idly.

Saturated with silence.

 

And the stuffed animals are alone.

No longer reporting for duty.

Unhugged.

 

When your kids grow up

 

You miss all the work.

The bedtime stories and songs.

Even the fatigue.

 

And you’d give anything.

To hear those giggles and cries again

In real time.

 

You long for the days

When this place, and you

Were the centre of their world.

—Peter.

Carmine at St. Andrew’s Church.

2026, Beyond 200 feet of My House™, Favourite, Fujifilm GF 45mm f/2.8 R WR, Fujifilm GFX 100SII, Inspiration, Portrait, Print, Street

I met Carmine today, but only because of what happened a week ago.

Let me explain.

I had stood in front of this church last weekend debating whether I should enter, but decided against it for fear of intruding and being chased away. When I returned home I looked up St. Andrew’s online and saw how lovely it was inside, so of course regretted my decision.

Today I found myself there again, and this time I noticed a sign by the front steps advertising a free concert. Well that gave me all the reason I needed to enter. I was happy I did.  When I stepped inside, I saw this tranquil scene of a man playing acoustic guitar, alone, at the front of the church.  He was preparing for his concert.  The sound was simply beautiful.  Without really thinking, I walked down the main aisle toward him, closing the distance between us.  I got within a few steps before he stopped playing; he looked up, quizzically, at which point I awkwardly said “Hi, would it be okay for me to take your portrait?”. He said yes, and the result is here.

Thanks Carmine.

—Peter.