Merrik turns 9 years old today. He has begun the path across the threshold of childhood and is truly a young man developing his own ideas about the world and personal independence. I am so proud of the choices he makes and after about a year of him questioning his own choices in life, he is on his way to being a very confident thinker. I have been photographing Merrik in the water since he was born. He started swimming at 7 months old and surfing at 1. His joy and confidence in the water is truly evident in every encounter. It is his therapy and his quintessential milieu.