10/21/2026
When we first moved (back) to Charlestown, Alex commuted to Newport, RI, five days a week. I was building my business while taking care of two little boys under two, and the days were looong.
I remember trying to kill time by bringing the boys out onto the stoop in the evenings, watching the seconds slowly tick by and waiting for Alex to come home. Time felt so slow.
But one of my neighbors was always so kind to me. Mike was a police officer, and he’d let the boys look inside his cruiser and give them "real" police badges (which they both still have tucked away in their treasure chests).
They were such simple acts of kindness, but they meant so much to an overtired, overwhelmed young mother. I doubt Mike ever knew just how much those little moments meant to me.
Without even realizing it, Mike was helping me raise my boys. And years later, I felt so incredibly lucky to be able to give something back by photographing his baby girl, Isabelle, on her wedding day.
Although Mike wasn’t there physically, his spirit was certainly felt.
Isabelle didn’t want a completely somber wedding focused on his absence, which I’m sure Mike wouldn’t have wanted either. Instead, she found a beautiful way to honor him while still celebrating the joy of the day.
She chose his favorite song to close out the night, with a toast to her dad. “Whole of the Moon” blared into the night as Isabelle danced with her brother and mother beneath the light of a full moon.
(Okay, it was hidden behind the fog and rain of the nor’easter, but stilllll.)
It was the perfect tribute to a man who meant so much to so many people.
I’m often moved by the ways people find to remember and honor those they’ve lost, but this one hit differently. Maybe because I knew, in my own small way, what Mike’s kindness felt like. Maybe because I got to see that kindness live on in the love surrounding his family.
Isabelle, thank you for letting me be part of such a meaningful day. It was an honor to document it, and I’ll always remember the way you chose to celebrate your dad: with love, with family, with music, and with so much joy. ❤️
