10/19/2026
I wish I could tell the little girl in that old picture just how quickly the years were going to pass. š„¹ā¤ļø
Iāve known Kensley since she was just FOUR years old.
Four.
And somehow, the little girl I once held onto is now standing in front of my camera, all dressed up for her senior homecoming.
I donāt think you ever really notice how fast time is moving until you look at an old photograph and realize that the moment youāre looking at doesnāt exist anymore. Not in the same way, anyway.
Last week, at senior night, we recreated an old picture of me with Kensley and her brother. Same three people. Same silly pose. Just a whole lot of life lived between those two photographs.
And I havenāt been able to stop thinking about it.
Because somewhere between those pictures, there were birthdays, school years, laughter, growing pains, and a thousand ordinary days that none of us realized weād eventually wish we could visit again.
And thatās the thing about photographs.
Sometimes you donāt realize just how precious a moment is while youāre living it. You take the picture because everyone is laughing, because someone looks cute, or because you simply want to remember that day.
And then years go by.
And suddenly, that ordinary little picture becomes something you wouldnāt trade for anything.
I think thatās why photography has always meant so much more to me than just taking pretty pictures.
Itās proof that we were there. That we loved people through different seasons of their lives. That even though we canāt make time stand still, we can hold onto a little piece of it.
Kensley, I hope you know how incredibly special it has been watching you grow up. I hope you always carry a little piece of that four-year-old girl with you, no matter how grown you get or how far life takes you.
And I hope one day, years from now, you look back at these pictures and remember how beautiful this chapter of your life was.
Because I can already tell you, Iāll never forget getting to be a small part of it.
From the little girl in my arms to the young lady in front of my lens.
What a privilege itās been to know them both.
I love you, sweet girl. š¤
ā Emily Chris Photography
