My sister and I. She is 8 years my elder and though I am taller now, she will always come out on top. I have no memory of the original photo but while taking the recreation we couldn’t stop laughing. These photos are a good representation of our relationship as a whole.

Captured in the flicker of a 1994 lens, Benaco, Tanzania, becomes the stage for a marriage ceremony unlike any other. My father, scarcely older than I am now, stands tall, his resolve mirrored in the depths of his gaze. Later in the quiet sanctuary of their Waterloo, Iowa home, time weaves its gentle tapestry around my parents, thirty years since they exchanged vows. Here they sit, my mother draped in the same white dress that adorned her on that auspicious day in 1994.

As I superimpose the past and the present, a wave of gratitude and joy rushes over me. In 1992, my parents stood, beaming with love and promise of the future. Now, my boyfriend and I recreate that moment, our smiles echoing theirs, celebrating our own journey of love and growth. The overlay of these photos shows the passage of time and reminds us of the power of love and the beauty of healthy relationships.