What to do on a rainy day and your family has a cold?
When that happens I simply start my magical chicken soup and clear the table… it’s time to look at family pictures and organize the family albums.
Going through my pictures I’ve come to some odd observation. When we leave our parents home we start our own picture albums (at some point). Some people have pictures in albums, others in boxes, some in drawers… with today’s technology some people have them on their computers, others like to instant share and keep it in their camera or some stream it on a social networks and blogs.
I’ve noticed for the most part people love sharing pictures and telling their story. I suppose we’ve been doing that since we’ve been on this planet… I guess we started drawing on cave walls to capture ‘our’ story.
I personally like to keep hard copies in my picture albums, you never know… for a rainy day in case the power goes out. (Does that happen here in the U.S.? absolutely! Every now and then in Florida we do get a good storm or hurricane)
Another observation… we take pictures when we are happy. We take pictures to capture that special moment.
Either for 30 years I didn’t own a camera or my life really didn’t begin until after I met George and became a mom. Oh, don’t get me wrong, there are a few photos here and there… there are the first 5 years with my grandparents and then 13 years with my mom and dad, and then the next 12 years my life as a police woman and stuff in between…I’ll just have to hunt for those pictures – there aren’t that many. I’ll raid my mom’s album see what there is and I may have 20 or so pictures of my police years in a box somewhere.
After looking at all those pictures this one here captures the essence where I recall being the HAPPIEST on my life journey.
Throw back memory…
I was in my mid 30’s, it was the Winter of 1997. Happily married, I finally began adjusting to life as a civilian and not a police woman, Geordan was at his adorable 4, we re-evaluated our finances and made a decision to move back into our home in Ft Lauderdale, (our home was an income property and we lived in one of the 2 bedroom one bath units). Winter of 1997 we were going to spend Christmas with my mom and dad in the Dominican Republic and my brothers were to join us with their families. I felt Happy, Healthy, Beautiful and with a renewed purpose.
I struggle with the question … do I hold onto a memory because it takes me to a happy place?
My instincts tell me that to hold onto a memory whether a good one or a bad one is to struggle with change. In retrospect the truth is, the chapters that preceded that picture were intense in testing my character. The test came in the way of new careers, new friendships and hobbies.
Funny thing, after 5 decades I am looking to make peace with my human experience and my spiritual reality… my search is to hear my soul sing and I know I will tap into a magical life.
I believe that life does move in cycles… and like rain falls, so will my happier days. And yours too! Just don’t hold onto the past, because if you do… you will miss out on that amazing happy future.
After all this picture cataloging, my next big project? My Pictiary.
