a story for jake

Upon meeting Michelle Thresher Taylor for the first time I liked her immediately. We're pretty close in age. We both went to college at the University of Florida, she was just graduating when I was starting there. We both worked for the student paper there. Both enjoyed the music scene, and the town of Gainesville, and had lots of similar interests and places our paths may have crossed.

The first thing you notice about Michelle is her eyes. They're big and beautiful, and have that sparkle that you'd easily notice from across a room. She smiles a lot, and has a great big, infectious laugh that comes easily and often. But that doesn't hide the fact that in those eyes, there is always this deep sadness.

Sometimes, I think it's really intense to look at someone as closely as I do.

Sometimes, I think it's incredible that we are allowed into peoples lives so intimately, and given a chance to form bonds with people that will change us forever.

Sometimes, I forget how personal things get.

Sometimes, I am reminded of how important my job is. And that there's a tremendous weight and responsibility that comes with that.

Michelle got a degree in journalism and went onto law school. Fell in love with this great guy named Dave. Got married. Had a beautiful baby boy named Jake. Life was perfect. Then on October 22, 2006, an IED was detonated near the vehicle Dave was traveling through Iraq in. And Michelle's world stopped. It was almost 6 months later that I met her. And the strength and courage she has in incredible.

I was out of town all weekend and just returned home. And the first thing I did was pick up the pile of newspapers off the doorstep to see how a story that was several months in the making ran.

Maybe I'm biased, but I thought it looked amazing. The story started on the front page and jumped to a 6-page special section. Half of the photos used were mine, the other half were family photos -- which normally I'd be a little unhappy with. But for this story, it worked. There were a lot of things that happened in the past, that I wasn't there for. Things that were an integral part of this story. Things that helped tell the story better, and ultimately, for this story, that's what it's all about.

I just wanted to do it justice, and to have their story told well. This story isn't about me. It's about Michelle, Dave and Jake.

Go read it and then go hug someone you care about.