timeless memories

timeless memories

 As I started to ponder what my first SELFIE SUNDAY post should be, I came up with a few different ideas. I could simply introduce myself and perhaps list a few fun things about me. I could share a quirky fact that not many people know or tell you about my whirlwind romance with my bearded stud of a husband. I mainly wanted to keep it fun and upbeat. If you missed it, be sure to check out my original post explaining my new method of purposeful blogging  – it explains it all! Selfie Sundays are going to be set aside for sharing personal things about me and my life. I want to get to know you all and it’s only fair that I allow you to get to know me as well. Anyways, as I thought more and more about what I wanted to start with I began writing down all of the ideas and getting excited about this first post and then I took a little break while I visited with my grandmother for about an hour while on a trip through Albuquerque, NM (where she lives).

Once I got back to the car I had a very different idea of what I wanted this first post to be about…

You see, my grandmother has dementia. After my grandfather passed away in 2011 she has progressively gotten worse. She still recognizes me and I thank God for that. However, certain details seem to come and go. She can be on a loop within the same conversation and go back and forth and back and forth. It breaks my heart more than I can describe with words… Witnessing the fading of ones memories is heartbreaking. Especially when you care so deeply for them. She said something tonight that really tugged at my heart. My grandmother said, “Sometimes I think I’ve forgotten more than I used to know.” I think that is profoundly heartbreaking and as the words were leaving her lips I could see the distress in her eyes.

Our memories are the most valuable, intangible treasures that we gather throughout our lifetime.

I think that there is a lack of concern from today’s young people for those that have come before them. My grandmother is going to be 76 in 4 days. That is 76 years worth of life… 50 more years than I have had – 50 more years full of experiences and wisdom. Listening to the stories of those that have lived longer and been through much more than we have is a true blessing. There is so much that can be gained from the experiences of others. We must simply be willing to listen.

A photograph : timeless memories

I was reminded tonight of the true power that a photograph has. As we sat talking I admired a shelf that she has in her room full of pictures and I commented that I loved a certain one of my grandfather when he was a young man serving in the Navy. She went and got the photo and began telling me a little about their story. She was smiling as she looked at the image and talked about him, how long they were engaged, and some tidbits about their life when he served in the Navy. Now, the details might not have been exact and things may have been out of order, but the look on her face when she talked, that was real. She looked at the photograph and you could tell she was thinking about him and recalling memories in her mind.

This exact type of moment is the number one reason why I am a photographer.

I have boxes of pictures that I will from time to time go through and recall moments that have since passed. I treasure these photographs above all of the material items that I possess. They are my history and each one tells its own story and since many of them came before digital, they are irreplaceable.

Thank you Dad, for these beautiful timeless memories that I can add to my treasured boxes of images.

Thank you for reading this post. It is near to my heart and I truly appreciate it.

Take photos – everyday and at every sort of occasion. It is the photos that you chose not to take that becomes the regret. There is no such thing as too many photos. Snap away and create your own timeless memories that can be treasured by you and your loved ones for many years.

Be sure to read the first posts of Marketing Monday, Traveling Tuesday, and Wedding Wednesday!!