Hillman Photography Initiative

This was one of coldest, yet happiest, moments of my life. I was with my family on the 50 yard line, about 20 rows back, at the first and only Steelers game I've attended. I'm fairly sure my shutter finger had frostbite, despite the hand warmers in my gloves and socks. My parents, seen here, are now some of the biggest Steelers fans I know, despite growing up in India and being more familiar with cricket initially than football. The look on their faces reflects what I remember as the sheer joy of that frigid Sunday afternoon, bundled up against the cold and nursing throats raw from all the cheering. In all honesty, I can't even remember who we were playing, or whether the Steelers even won. But what I do remember is how excited we all were to be there together, laughing and joking about the numbness rapidly spreading from our fingers to our toes. My parents represent the best of married life to me - the real kind, where you know your partner through and through and love them for who they are. They are the model on which I've built my own relationships and I would not be who I am without them. To see them here, captured in this cherished moment, is about as close to perfect as it can get.