Soul Pictures





As much as I have shared of this grief journey we are on, there are still parts of this journey that are private.  As I think back over the last year, I am grateful for a lot of things.  One of the most treasured things is the family pictures we had done a little over a year ago.  Our push was to get them done before our nephew left for college, knowing how much harder it would be to get the whole family together at one time.  Little did any of us know that just six short weeks later, Scott would be gone -- suddenly, unexpectedly, in a split second -- and our lives were changed forever.  Those photos are so precious now -- the only "formal" pictures of Scott, Jaelyn, and I. 

Photos have been such a source of comfort over the last eleven months -- they bring memories, laughter, and tears -- but worth their weight in gold.  There are photos I wish we had taken -- those moments in life that are special in their simplicity and normalcy -- the moments we think too insignificant to document in photos.  Let me tell you, no moment is too insignificant to document.  Those simple moments mean more to me than all planned out, planned for moments.  Am I any better at documenting all those moments?  Probably not right now as it is still painful without Scott present in those simple moments.  I take photos though, even when I don't feel like taking them as I know the value they will have in the future. 

My mother-in-law has never liked to have her picture taken as long as I know her.  Because of this, we have very few pictures of her, mostly just a hand in front of her face.  I am grateful that we did not lose her when she had her stroke so that we still have opportunities to preserve memories with her.  How sad I would be if I didn't have photos of Scott to bring specific memories to mind.  When I look at pictures of Scott, I don't look at how much hair he had, what he weighed, what he wore, or how goofy he was acting.  I look at his eyes and see his soul -- what a beautiful person he was.  I hope I am not remembered for my face, weight, how I was dressed, or how goofy I might have been.  I hope I am remembered for what my eyes reveal about my soul.

Please don't hesitate or resist having your picture taken, it will help preserve memories for your loved ones and what will be remembered is who you are, not what you think you look like in the pictures.




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