I’m still swooning over the gorgeous views and warm energy of Bruce Fox’s retirement party at the Tribute Apartments in downtown Knoxville, TN. The building was recently renovated and reimagined into urban living by Bruce’s son Shea and was formerly the site of the Tennessee Supreme Court. How fitting, then, that after 46 years working as an attorney, Bruce celebrated with 120 of his closest friends, family members, and colleagues overlooking the city in a place with such meaning. Let me tell you, it was stunning.
What I loved most about the evening, however, was the love and friendship shared. Long-time law partners John Willis and Mike Farley shared emotional stories of how Bruce gave them a chance and believed in them early in their careers. They spoke candidly about what it meant for Bruce to place such trust in them and how that has unfolded in astonishing ways in their lives and the lives of those around them.
Bruce, however, blew me away. One of the core tenets of my work with Lion Flower Photo is that there is no courage without vulnerability—that courage of any kind involves some element of risk. This idea is rooted in the work of award-winning scholar Brené Brown, and it’s exactly what I want to capture for my clients: not the posed and perfect version of you, but the real, unfiltered, full-of-expression version of you. Letting your true self be seen in this way takes courage, and that’s exactly what Bruce did.
Of course, he thanked colleagues for their time and dedication over the past decades. And, he spoke beautifully about how, even when working with colleagues on opposite sides of a case, they consistently showed respect and courtesy for each other and how thankful and proud he was for that. And then, with tears falling from the corners of his eyes, he described the impact of his recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis and how that influenced his decision to retire. I remember him saying it simply; now was the time. And, what a beautiful, full of energy time it was.
Friends you want to talk with for the whole evening. Family members you don’t want to stop hugging. Colleagues and support staff you can never thank enough. This event had it all. Thank you Fox family and others for the opportunity to capture these images at the most wonderful retirement party.
