Family Portrait

I took this family portrait yesterday as we walked along the beach… our entire family could not make it… some were sleeping… others out of reach… But I noticed through the camera lens as in the sand I knelt even the family members who were absent… their presence could be felt. I don't know how it happens but when I take a picture of my family… I swear I see the people in the picture frame… and the ones who are not there. Which makes every family photo… a reason to give thanks… as my eyes look at the picture while my heart fills in the blanks… So once again I smiled as I snapped this picture… suddenly filled with but one thought how my entire family is always with me… whether they're with me… or they're not.