Recently my son Jude was on the beach in St. Pete with his girlfriend Abby, playing a bit of guitar, and a passerby took these shots, shared with him, later shared with me, and now, shared with you. They are so moving to me, because in them, I see him as the young man he is, with his own interests and relationships, moving forward to versions of places I will never see, with his whole life ahead of him. We’ve always had a good relationship and it remains strong as he gets older, and I’m grateful for that, I like to think a piece of me will travel with him on his adventures, even after I’m gone. I like to think that passing the torch is really what life is all about. Anyways, I’m proud of him, I think this is a beautiful photo, reflecting his grace and the quiet moment he was sharing with his love. All of this choked me up.
Doug Hoekstra 