Today was Walter Gretzky’s funeral. And we were reminded of the bond between he and son, Wayne. I never knew either of them personally but I don’t believe the kinship was any more special from any healthy father and son alliance. In the early years, an impressionable boy is steered by his dad’s encouragement, caring, and guidance. Values are formed. And Wayne benefitted. If he could have noticed, Wayne would have witnessed his dad learning to be a parent, just doing the best he could at the time. Little would Wayne know he was shaping his dad, too. And in later years, Wayne would find himself encouraging, caring and guiding his dad in life in ways he was years earlier.

When Dr. Suess said, “To the world, you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world”, perhaps he appreciated how interchangeable the feelings are between a father and son.

Over my career, I have photographed father and son combinations. Not many. Mostly as a family unit, or mother with daughters. I'm not sure why fathers don't get professionally photographed with their sons more often. Perhaps the candid phone pic on the golf course is "good enough." And that's fine. But think how much this portrait will appreciate in emotional value over the years of Matt M. and his son, Keegan, created in Tsawassen in 2011. It truly is a feeling Keegan will inherit. You can feel the bond between them, and how much one means to the other.

SEE FAMILY PORTRAIT IDEAS IN TIME FOR FATHER'S DAY

The day before Mr. Gretzky's funeral, I was with my dad who turned 88 this year. I am blessed that I still have my dad in my life today. I don’t know many at my age who do. I am now looking after many of his needs just as he did for me when I was young. He has always been a guiding light and has supported and encouraged all my life’s pursuits. I am who I am today because of him. And we are grateful we have each other still.

The picture above was after I took dad to the dentist to have a missing tooth assessed. Oh, while there, he had all his teeth cleaned, … well, all but one of them.

But if I lose my dad only one tooth at a time, I’m all in. And I’ll be there to take him to every dentist appointment needed.

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