Making Memories at Full Throttle

There are photographs that capture a moment, and then there are photographs that somehow capture two people exactly as they are. This one might be my favorite example of that. There’s Jay, sitting behind the wheel, fresh off the track, looking like he has just spent the last several minutes wrestling with every ounce of horsepower, concentration, and adrenaline he possesses. He’s serious, focused, and probably still mentally replaying every corner of the race. And then there’s Zoie - standing right in front of his race car with that unmistakable smile and her trademark “life is awesome” energy. The contrast between them is absolutely perfect. One is processing the stresses of racing; the other is celebrating the fact that they get to be there together.

But underneath the humor of this picture is something that means so much more to me as Zo’s dad. I love seeing these two in the prime of their lives - chasing dreams, taking chances, working hard, laughing, racing, traveling through life, and simply enjoying the ride. They bring something different to one another, yet somehow it fits beautifully. They love each other, respect each other, and seem to know when the other needs encouragement, perspective, or maybe just someone standing nearby making ridiculous hand gestures while they're trying to decompress from a stressful race. I feel incredibly fortunate to get a front-row seat to their story. Life moves far too quickly, and someday I'll look back at photographs like this and realize just how special this season of their lives really was. For now, though, I'm just grateful to see Zoie and Jay side by side - young, happy, completely themselves, and making the absolute most of this crazy, wonderful life they've been given. Life is so good, so so good.