After I wake up each morning, I take a few minutes to hop on the computer, check email, the weather, news, and of course Facebook. A few days ago was no different. As I started scrolling through my feed, an image popped up on Facebook that I had posted several years ago. You know that feature the shows you things you posted “On this day”? (I LOVE that feature)!!
Well the image yesterday stopped me dead in my tracks, and I just stared, for the longest time. Smiles and stares as I inspected it closely, and I remembered the day the image was taken. I remembered the blue in the sky, the green in the grass and the warmth of the breeze. I remember the goofiness of my brother, the laughs that erupted and the happiness in my heart. I remembered the feeling of being there, at that moment, and understanding, even then, how significant that image would become.
Now, almost 10 years after that image was taken, it is one of my favorite images, and memories of my adult life. This image is one of the very few images I have have with my whole family, including my husband and children, my parents, my brothers, sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews. (We were missing one little peanut, but she wasn’t born yet). This image means more to me than almost anything, and will be more cherished as the years go by.
At the time this image was taken, my father had Alzheimers and little did we know, my mother would follow the same path. But in that season of life, my brothers and I knew and understood the importance of gathering everyone for a professional photo session, and capturing our family together, as we often were.
At this time in our lives, we often gathered at my parent’s house for Sunday Night Dinner. We would crowd around my parents dining room table, eat, laugh, drink and talk. This was the season of babies, so there was always a highchair, sippy cups and cousins running around. Our Sunday Night Dinner tradition was one of my favorites. I always looked forward to the times we were together. Several years after this image was taken, my father passed away. My mother now follows the same path with memory loss, and by brothers and I all live spread out across the country.
I am so incredibly thankful to have these images of my family together, in such a memorable time in our lives. Just one glance at them, and the memories of those days flood black and warm my heart like nothing else. I’m so thankful for not only the image, but the memories of that day. The time we spent together. The laughs that were shared. The meal that followed.
When was the last time you had a professional photos of your family together?
When was the last time you made it a priority to gather together, and document the love of your family, the season of your life? Make it a priority. Understand the importance. Treasure the opportunity. It will only mean more and more each year that passes.
