old boards

This is a simple short film of my family spending time together on the deck at the house I grew up in. This weekend marks a year since my sweet mother left us, and I wouldn't be anywhere else in the world. My parents built this house when I was two, and moved our family from a tiny old house on my grandparents farm in Essex, MO. We spent many hours together on the deck, just enjoying each other's company and having some of our best, and toughest conversations. The original deck was about six feet longer, and had a wooden swing on one end. I can remember my mother holding me and swinging on it in the fall when I was little, how the wind rustling through the trees sounded like ocean waves against the shore, and crickets chirping in the distance. There's a stillness here that calms my soul. I also remember my siblings and I "playing" on the deck barefoot, which always led to splinters in our feet. Mom had a tender way of removing them for us. My dad and brother and I built the deck as it is today. Mom loved being out there in the evenings with a fire and her family. I'm sure it was one of her most favorite places in the world. My heart aches for those days, and I cherish all the memories we made on these old boards. This is for you, Mom. I miss your strength and your spirit, but I can feel your soul here. I love you.

Ryan Walters  |  St. Louis Photographer + Cinematographer