One - We're in Colorado Springs visiting Firstborn Army Guy and his family in anticipation of his deployment to the Middle East next month.
Second - When we're out here, time seems so short; and when time seems short, time flies.
Third - My heart just wasn't in it. The kisses that I photographed were too poignant and hit too close to home to publish.
When his little, three-year-old darling ran to him when he got home from work, squealing, "DADDY!". I couldn't help but think about what she couldn't know. In a few weeks, Daddy wouldn't be coming home from work every day. In fact, it would be about a year before she'd leap into his arms and in that year she'd change a lot and grow a lot and despite her mom's best efforts with movies and photos, Dad will miss a big part of his little girl's life.
And then there was the 'sweetheart' kiss. The kiss where they both knew, with painful clarity that in a few short weeks, there wouldn't be any kisses. There would be a long, lonely stretch of worry and stress for both of them.
They kissed in front of a renovation that is targeted to be completed before the deployment. And this is where they pour their efforts and time prior to that difficult day. And perhaps that's a good thing. A distraction that promises great rewards that they'll both look forward to enjoying a little over a year from now.Those are the kisses. And the reasons why, although they're sweet and beautiful, they're painful.
