In preparing to capture this story, I went on Facebook to see what more I could learn about Butch Gates and his family. In doing so, I found a video posted by one of his children that was captured from his memorial service a few months ago.
As I sat at my desk and watched his memorial service, tears streamed down my face. I listened to his children share about a father who loved them passionately and made them his first priority. I heard about a man who knew his values and made sure to focus his time and energy on the things that really mattered. I spent several hours preparing my questions that morning as I wanted to make sure we were able to truly capture the essence of such a remarkable man.
But once we sat down and began the video shoot, I quickly realized it wasn’t my questions that were necessary, but my attention. As Scott, Kyle, Julie & Kasey shared from their hearts, I focused on genuinely listening. In doing so, I believe we captured the heart of this story and the legacy of Butch Gates.
For me, this was a beautiful reminder of why I do what I do. Sitting across from each of them that day, they didn’t need me to do anything but listen and listen well as they wanted me to understand how much their dad meant to them. I know I would have loved getting to know Butch Gates while he was still with us, but in some way, I feel as though I have gotten to know him in talking with his children.
We are so grateful to Sun Valley Community Church for trusting us with sharing this powerful story.
– Krisanna Mowen