I watched two little pigtails in a sundress run towards the sparkling ocean as her dad followed close behind. When she got to the edge of the water, she just stopped and stared in awe. Together they stood there gazing out at the horizon, watching the sky turn to a mixture of purple and pink, feeling the saltwater splash around their ankles and the sand between their toes. Mesmerized.

It might as well have been me. In another time and place, I stood at the edge of a different ocean with my dad at my side. I was about her age or slightly younger when I fell in love with it. The waves. The salt. The breeze. The sand. The sun. All of it. My dad has loved the ocean his entire life. A love that he most certainly gave to me. Every summer since then, my family has gone back to that beach. A beach that is now a second home to us.

On the shores of Oahu, my heart couldn’t help but smile as I watched a beautiful memory in the making. This little girl would remember this moment for the rest of her life. Although it may be somewhat fuzzy because of her young age, she would remember. The family that surrounded her would recall it with vivid detail. This memory will be one of the strongest, happiest memories they may ever know. I know, because they are mine as well.

I had the honor of capturing this moment for this sweet family. Freezing time forever in a precious photograph. This is why I do what I do. So that this family would be able to look back on this incredible vacation to Hawaii for years and years to come. So that that little girl who reminded me so much of myself would be able to reminisce with her father, her brother, her future husband, her children and grandchildren, about the moment she fell in love with the sea.