Time is a thief. But I’ve also come to realize something else about Time.

This summer felt different. A little sweeter, a little heavier. Maybe because we’re on the cusp of change—our oldest daughter’s graduation is this year, and with it will come a new season for her…and for us.

I found myself lingering more—over long walks with friends along the Jersey Shore, golden sunsets watching cousins play cornhole in Northern Michigan, and hot, dreamy days wandering through cobblestone streets of Greece and Italy. I pressed pause on social media, and in that quiet, the moments with my family seemed to stretch wider and settle deeper.

It was a summer of rest and of longing—rest from the rush of everyday life, and longing for more summers just like this one. More laughter spilling across beach towels. More unhurried meals shared under open skies. More time, simply being together.

Amidst that longing for more time came this sweet session, along with words that made my eyes brim with tears and my heart with fresh purpose. Though at very different stages of motherhood, this mama and I are soul sisters in many ways. Once a year, I drive to CT and pour all the longing I feel for the years I can’t reclaim into her family’s session. Something in me is restored when I get to capture her children in a way I wish I could still capture mine.

Time is a thief, and with films and photos, I get to steal back for others what it’s taking from me. But Time is also a gift. Watching my oldest gain wisdom and confidence and test her wings is one of the most beautiful things in my world right now. I find myself staring at her when she isn’t looking, completely in awe of the woman she is becoming.