I have a bit of professional disdain for the sunrise/sunset photo, truth be told, but there was Kim Harrison, looking like a greeting card as the sun cleared the horizon that Easter morning. I assumed she was with the church congregation I was covering. After she had her moment by the water, I joined her as she walked up the dunes and gave her my photographer spiel - here to cover the service, could I get your name, etc. "Oh, I'm not with the church, but I knew they were doing this." Figured she needed to be around their positive energy. Kim laughed and said when things got too religious, she moved down to the shore break by herself, to do her Buddhist thing.
Kim held her arms out to the Atlantic for a long moment, like she was embracing it. She picked this morning of rebirth and resurrection to say goodbye to the sea, as she is going on a cross-country sojourn for the next year. She's leaving Virginia Beach after 25 years, her son's ashes in tow. A local surfer, he died 3 years ago, suddenly. Kim is heading to all those places they never got to see, hoping to end in CA where she plans on giving away her son's surfboard and rash guard, a chapter closed. As we parted ways, I wished her safe travels. Her eyes welled up as she turned her back to the waves. "These are happy tears. I'm going on a trip with my son."
