Focusing on Father’s Day is a terrific way for me to get a few more layouts of my hubby in the scrapbook. I hate to say it- but the dirty secret is- most of my pages focus on the kids- followed by our collective everyday lives, a few introspective pages about me- and then, at the very bottom of the list- him. That’s so sad because seriously, there was a time I scribbled this guys name all over my notebooks and filled my dresser mirror with snapshots of the two of us.

So- the same way I tackle December Daily, A Week in the Life and Project Life with focus- this week before Father’s Day I am going to work on capturing stories of him, as the terrific guy he is, the terrific Dad and of course the guy who still has my heart after all these years.. that’s three pages more than I made about him last year LOL! Of course I wont tell him about my little project, and I am sure he will protest about the photos I will be taking of him the next few days- but I know it will be worth it.

I treasure the photos I have of “younger” Dad and me- photos that tell the story of a guy who was not older than me now, but who seemed to know so much more than I could ever hope to know- photos of our everyday lives before I was a mom or a wife- but just someones daughter- unknowingly someone’s world.

Most of the photos I have of him are of the years when his hair had grayed and his eyes had wrinkled from age, laughter , time- but I wish I had just one photo of the moment I remember playing out night after night when I was younger: My sister and I would have finished out homework and dinner, Mom would have sent us for baths and PJs and we would be watching Love Boat or happy days on TV- then- the locks on the front door would turn and we would light up – jump to our feet and yell “Daddyyyyy..!” as we ran down the hall to jump into his arms and squeeze him so tight- it was like Christmas, everyday at 7:30pm.

That was the routine, everyday- for years- until, one day, it wasn’t. And that’s how it always is, isn’t it.  Routines slowly slip into a new normal and you don’t even realize it’s happening until you are so far away from the moment that you realize there is no way back.

That’s why photos matter.  They let you go back just enough to feel the joy of the moment. I need to take more of those for my boys. And more of those of hubby and me. These are good days we are in, but thy keep moving forward- and I need to be sure to push pause with that shutter.  I’ll let you know how it goes with my little project- and if you have any ideas about capturing the joy of dads- I’d love to hear them!