how many ways to light a fire? (theme: love)

It's fall and I'm lighting fires. [DIGRESSION: A couple of years ago, I was so bad at it, I actually had to watch youtube videos on how to do it. I'd let in so much smoke we needed to air out the room for hours, and even had the chimney and stove inspected lest the problem lay there. Maybe it partially did, but anyway, I'm better at getting a good fire going now... What I learned from those youtube videos only very loosely applies to the metaphor of love I'm about to make. (Metaphors are my thing, so either hang tight with me on this journey (wink wink) or ignore this blog.)]

Fire reminds me of love. That's what I'm talking about today. Bear with me, we'll get there shortly...

Theodore Roosevelt said once, Comparison is the thief of joy (or maybe he said it more than once, who knows?). In the spirit of the quote, I gotta tell ya: all families are different. And there're multiple ways to be a great family. Shocking? I hope not. So number one thing - stop comparing yourself to others. Stop comparing your family to others. Simply don't do it. Just stop it.

I've had a short career as a photographer thus far, but a longer one studying families before that. I've seen it for myself: all families do their family thing their way. The way they enjoy their free time, the hobbies they partake in, the way they spend a 'lazy' Sunday afternoon. The way they decorate their homes, the pets they snuggle with, the food they cook, and the way their calendars are filled. It's all different. No two families are alike.

But most families are united by one thing: love. How they express it might vary. Some families are huggers, kissers, pinchers of cheeks (ahem, my uncle), yellers, whisperers. But it's there. Underlying every fight or hug, every tear or smile, even every tantrum. Love unites family.

So, here is a collection of photos I've taken over the past year, which show the love between family, in sadness and in joy, in quiet moments and in excited ones.