He might have missed the focus. He might have shot this completely under exposed (hooray for RAW). But when I look at this image, none of that is important.

What I see is a husband who knows that photography sparks a light in me. A man who knows how deeply I love these children, despite how much I’ve been struggling recently. ”Can you take a picture of us?” He smiled and grabbed my camera.

Truth is, this season isn’t my favorite. It’s been tougher than I imagined it would be. But I knew that if I handed him my camera, I’d be able to see myself through his eyes. And that’s exactly what happened.

I see grace. I see love. I see joy. I see beauty. I see two kids who are loved and happy.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget why I ever picked up my camera in the first place. Then there are images and moments like this one.

My soul took a deep breath tonight.