“It was sunset on a small beach behind some rental houses in the Outer Banks in 2015. My parents and I were on vacation, taking a walk and enjoying this rare opportunity together. We rounded a corner and saw a man in his 70s with a massive beard (just like my dad’s, a barely contained poof) fiddling with a nice camera. He was getting ready to take a picture of the sunset, but when he saw us his face lit up.
He asked if he could take a picture of our family since he was well-equipped to capture the moment and the sun was just beginning to hit the horizon. After a few shots, he asked for our address. With no writing utensil or smartphone, he promised to memorize our address and mail prints of the photos in time for them to be waiting for us when we returned from vacation.
My dad was skeptical at first but gave him our home address. A week later, five glossy photos were delivered to our doorstep with a Post-It that read ‘Hope your family enjoys these. Have a great summer! – Steve.’
Never heard from Steve again. Turns out that was my last beach trip with my Dad, and this stranger’s photos of us mean a lot more to me than Steve probably could have ever guessed.”
