joie de vivre

5 and a half years ago I took this photo. A funny, spontaneous moment with my boisterous dad on an average afternoon walk with my family. When he passed away a few months later those silly moments all but disappeared. I lost my father and my family lost its joie de vivre. He brought humour and laughter into every situation, encounter and disagreement and when he died so did the corny jokes. I thought that this lightheartedness might be gone forever but as the grief begins to fade I am able to see him and his spirited pursuit of happiness all around me. I recently tok a trip to Tofino with my sister and mother where we went on a walk along the beach which turned into a puddle splashing good time. It was nice to see that despite the adversity we have faced as a family these happy, hilarious moments are still possible. He will live on as long as we continue to embrace life with the same sense of merriment.

Tofino, BC