Tim’s “Wish of a Lifetime” Comes True at Solana Beach
A few weeks ago I learned about Wish of a Lifetime, an organization that connects “seniors to people, purpose, and passions to eliminate feelings of isolation and help them live vibrant, purposeful lives.” Their mission spoke to me an their vibrant imagery of seniors living their dreams inspired me as a photographer. I immediately reached out through their website to volunteer as a photographer should they ever decide to grant a wish in my neck of the woods. Lucky me, they had a wish lined up in San Diego soon and they thought we’d be a great match!
About Tim
Tim Brown, 66, of Dayton Ohio had a challenging life…one of seven children and the son of an alcoholic father, he was never educated beyond 6th grade and never left a 30 mile radius of his hometown. Throughout his life he worked hard in labor intensive jobs and overcame homelessness, tragedy, and addiction in his life. With faith and goodwill for his fellow man, Tim sought every opportunity help others. He is often seen at the bus stop handing out food and often invites the homeless to his apartment for a shower and a hot meal. As he got older Tim often thought of seeing the Ocean one day and what that would mean to him. A few months ago Tim’s brother passed away after never leaving his hometown. This tragedy inspired Tim in a new way to make his wish of seeing the Ocean come true!
Tim’s Wish Coming True!
Enter Wish of a Lifetime! This amazing organization reaches seniors just like Tim who have inspiring stories and meaningful wishes. They were thrilled to make Tim’s wish come true by flying him to San Diego to put his toes in the sand, see the waves crashing on the shore, and smell the salty air!
The day Tim arrived in San Diego I met him in a Starbucks parking lot. He greeted me warmly with a hug immediately! From there I lead the way to Tide Beach Park in Solana Beach. During that brief mile drive, the Ocean came into view and I imagined what Tim must be feeling! As we reached the top of the staircase that would lead down to the beach, I had Tim pause and soak it all in. His wish was coming true and the majesty of the Ocean was before him!
As we made our way along the sand and Tim dipped his feet in the (very cold) water, he was full of thankfulness for Wish of a Lifetime and full of prayers of wonder and awe at God’s creation. One of the unexpectedly amazing things about being a photographer is that I get an entrance ticket to the most intimate and wonderful moments of a person’s life. I am continuously amazed by this gift I have been given but never more so than I was on this night! I hope you enjoy these images and I hope Tim inspires you as he did me!
P.S. If you’re inspired, a donation of even $25 can help fulfill another senior’s “wish of a lifetime”! www.wishofalifetime.org
To learn more about Marisa’s photography for senior citizens, email [email protected]
Aw Marisa & Tim!!! This is so awesome! Marisa, as always, your pics evoke true emotions of those of us taking them in. Im in love with this, the idea, the images!! Well done(: These are great! How long does Tim get to stay? So happy for him (and you getting to meet him).