Let me share with you a picture that makes me smile.
This is my family. Well, I’m not there; as you can see, this was taken in 1965. My grandpa is the guy in the back with the cap on; my grandma is all the way to the left in her wool coat. My dad, up front with his snowy knees and goofy grin. I’d take you through everyone else, but it might get confusing.
All you need to know is that that’s my family, and I love them. And what I love most about this picture is that 48 years later, I have it. I can look at it, smile at it, and try to figure out who is in it. I can wonder if Uncle Larry & Dad matched their coats on purpose, if it was a bad winter in Syracuse that year, and if, maybe, they had just gotten home from Sunday church.
I was blessed to be born into a family of picture-takers. Every relative has a fireplace mantle or book shelf filled with frozen stories. Dad, Uncle Ed and Grandpa climbing various mountains in New England. All the cousins sitting in rocking chairs at our first annual family reunion. My sister Megan & cousin Olivia when they were three, playing in the turtle-shaped sandbox. Dressed up as Minnie Mouse on my first Halloween (or even better, Mom dressed as Pippi Longstocking). Papa smiling as Meg holds up the first fish she ever caught. I could go on for days…
Special times. Random moments. Frozen stories we can all look back on and smile about.
The moral of this blog post is: Take pictures and include everyone in them. Take pictures of more than just your first kid’s first year. Take pictures on days that don’t necessarily require pictures. Take pictures in places that matter to you.
Ok. The End. ~s
