When I Look At You
By Annette Camp
August 2, 2026
When I look at you,
I notice your eyes first.
Not because they are beautiful,
though they are,
but because they are always
revealing something.
A spark of curiosity.
A quiet thought.
A laugh before it arrives.
I watch them brighten
when music finds you.
A song begins, and
suddenly your fingers snap.
Your shoulders follow.
Your feet join in.
The room becomes larger
because you are dancing
in it, and joy takes
space around you.
I love hearing you
sing in the jeep.
unconcerned with perfection,
giving yourself fully
into the moment,
turning an ordinary
drive into something alive.
And the little game
that begins whenever
I lift the camera.
The faces.
The exaggerated expressions.
The way you lean
into the moment,
turning a simple photo
into something fun.
And then there are those
that we take where
I see your smile
because happiness
found a place to rest.
I see that same smile
standing beside our
paint-and-sip canvas,
holding memories that matter
far more than the artwork.
I love watching you
when you are shopping too.
An outfit.
A perfume.
Something small that you
weren't planning to buy.
There is an excitement
that appears in you.
I never grow tired
of that giddiness.
I love the glow that
follows a facial or massage,
devoted entirely to yourself.
You emerge lighter somehow,
relaxed in a way that
reaches beyond your skin.
I love seeing your face
after you've hugged your kids.
And when you FaceTime
with your grandchildren.
The conversation may be over
but that smile remains.
You light up.
And then there's high tea.
I find myself smiling.
I love the anticipation,
the discovery and
the wonder that
still finds you.
I love watching you
after the theater.
The performance ends.
The lights come up.
There's something that
has shifted in you.
Let that stay!
I love watching
you experiencing
something new.
A new place.
A new idea.
A new delight.
When I look at you,
what I see is life.
Life in your eyes.
Life in your laughter.
Life in your dancing,
your singing,
your love.
And every time I witness it.
I find another reason
to keep looking.
