Ok, friends. This is a sentimental one. The first time I remember this young lad, he was a crying toddler at the daycare center I was working at about fifteen years ago. His mom, Jessica worked as a therapist for a short time and so he would be there, too, but not in the same room as her. He didn't like it. This sweet boy wanted to be with his mommy.
The next time I remember Hayden, he had just turned nine the day before and was splashing around in a tank with our four year old, Liam. We had walked over to meet Hayden's family down the street. I didn't realize that he was the same kid at the day care center until later on or that his mom was one of the therapists I saw working there on occasion.
(Photo of Hayden and Liam, taken June 9, 2017
Up until that point, we had only met Hayden's dad, Farmer Darren, the name our family affectionately started calling him almost right away. Darren had introduced himself briefly when we first moved in during the Fall, but we had hibernated for the winter before we ventured out to meet the rest of his wonderful family the following Spring.
For the next five and a half years, our families spent lots of time together celebrating special events, hanging out, swimming, and working outside. Often, we would pop over unannounced for various reasons and would find ourselves talking for forty-five minutes. This family was a gift to ours that we still treasure!
The Wights were the hardest neighbors to leave when we moved to Florida. When you share a deep love for Jesus, the bond is naturally stronger. I told them when we moved, that they were stuck with us because we would still come visit and we have maintained that.
Over the years, Hayden and his siblings spent many hours with our boys. He would take them for rides on the Kubota, play with them in the hay loft of their barn, show their eager eyes his lego sets, and sit on the floor to go through his "old" legos. My boys loved Hayden and his siblings.
In our home, I often say to my three boys, "I am raising you to be a man in a man's body, not a boy in a man's body. This world doesn't need any more boys walking around in men's bodies." Though they don't fully understand what that means yet, I give them plenty of examples of both.
Hayden is well on his way to being a man in a man's body. First and foremost, he has known and followed Jesus since he was in elementary school. He is respectful, looks a person in the eye, and hard working. He thinks of others. He is not afraid to try new things. He is generous with his time and resources. He honors his parents. He glorifies God with his gifts and talents. The list goes on. I am proud of the young man Hayden has grown up to be and thankful for the example he has set for our three boys.
I had the privilege of photographing not only Hayden's senior photos, but his other three siblings, Lauren, Tyler, and even Noah's after we had moved to Florida. What an honor!
In preparation for his slideshow, I asked Hayden's mom, Jessica for some of his favorite songs. She called him an old soul when she sent me several screen shots of his Spotify playlist. The first set was full of oldies songs like, "Son of a Preacher Man," "Yakety Yak," and "I Want To Hold Your Hand." I thought it would be fun to do something from that list, but as I was going through the next list of contemporary Christian music, the first song I saw surprised me in a good way. It was, "The Only Name (Yours Will Be) recorded by Big Daddy Weave in 2012, but written by an old friend of mine and Ralph's named Benji Cowart.
I used to serve and lead worship with Benji and his wife, Jenna at The Chapel in Getzville, NY. We sang, "The Only Name (Yours Will Be)" as a congregation before it ever hit the radio. I knew I didn't need to look further. It was not only perfect for Hayden, but meaningful for me. I hope if you haven't already watched it, that you go back to it.
The time I spent with Hayden and his mom for his senior session was such a joy for me. I remembered him taking piano lessons and hearing him play. I saw him practice playing the guitar with our mutual friend, Theresa Hoffman. I remember him playing in a worship band in the gazebo at the park in Akron, NY. Now I was hearing of his participation in this year's school musical, the piano piece he played there, and the surprise by many in the school of his talents. This 6 foot farm boy, who was also homeschooled for a couple of years, is standing out amongst his peers.
It felt surreal photographing Hayden in the field that I used to gaze at every day when we lived across from it. I could see our house as I photographed, but it wasn't ours anymore. At the same time, it felt as though we had never left. God is so cool.
Shout out to our eight year old, Devin who joined me for the tractor and corn field part of Hayden's session and took this very cool photo of Hayden!
During his session, I reminded Hayden that God has gifted him with all of these amazing talents that I see him with for a purpose. The amazing opportunities that he has already been given and will have in the future are intentional and that he should not forget to give God the glory for them. That his actions will be remembered for years to come by his classmates.
If this old soul continues pursuing Christ like he already is, the things that God will do through him will be a sight to behold. He's already talking about being a preacher. YES!
Hayden's favorite Bible verse: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
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Quick link to Hayden's one minute long slideshow: https://youtu.be/4bV2QZhZ7DM
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