The Way We Were

September 2002.

A father, mother and daughter posing just outside the door of their home. A happy picture, of a happy family.

The father's a little bit tired from all the boxes he's been lugging. The mother's a little sad about what the day will bring. The daugher's both scared and excited about the next chapter in her life that's about to unfold.

The picture was taken the day I moved away to go to college. My first time leaving home. I had to learn to spread my wings a little bit, and they had to let me. What none of us knew at the time, is that this was the last picture of the three of us together that would ever be taken. There would be other pictures of each of us, but never another of all three.

Because in another year and a half, our life would change drastically. The happy family of three would be splintered down to two. The father died, leaving only mother and child.

But, at this particular moment, that is the far away future and it doesn't matter. In this moment in time, we're still happy, still a family.

Oh, the way we were...