Say Cheese!

The older I get, the more lessons I seem to be learning. I'm beginning to find it quite interesting.

Today's lesson came via the birth of a friend's first grandchild.

This morning, on my way to work my I saw my friend's status update letting us know that the mother-to-be's water had broken and labor had begun. "How exciting!", I thought to myself, "the baby will be here soon."

Later this morning came the anticipated announcement...the baby was HERE. Again, I found myself being excited as if I had a relational connection to this precious little one.

Later still, came the first photo. "Ohhh", I uttered out loud. Such a blessing!

Then came more photos. My reaction was the same for all.

At some point I realized just how incredibly amazing it must be for someone who is born today, or even 5 years ago with all of the advancements of technology, and Facebook.

Take this little one for example.

Years from now, and even longer as long as Facebook stays around, he will be able to look back on his very first day here on earth. I mean, like MINUTES after his arrival...he'll be able to see that. And every monumental event hereafter...those will all be chronicled in some form of digital technology for him to pass on to his children, and their children, etc. What a blessing!

I even have another friend who started a Facebook page for her granddaughter on the day the granddaughter was born, and updates it with pictures of the baby girl who is now two years old. Can you imagine?!?

I wish I were as blessed.

Unfortunately, I was born in a time when photos were taken, developed, and typically stored away in a photo album. As a result, I have only 5 photos from my childhood (if even that many).

It's not that photos were'nt taken of me. Oh, there were plenty. Especially being the first grandchild, and living with my grandparents for the earliest years of my life...there were albums upon albums of my photos. But they're gone now.

You see, they were all kept at my grandparents home. Made sense to me. That's where they had always been and it never dawned on me to get them, at least not while my grandparents were alive. As long as THEY were here, my photos were safe.

Sadly, my beloved grandmother (who was also my very first best friend) passed away 23 years ago.

One year after my grandmother's passing, my grandfather remarried...a witch.

I never liked her. Ever. There was something about her "spirit" that my "Spirit" did not agree with. But for my grandfather's sake, I tolerated her and "behaved" as my grandparents would put it.

Well...fast forward to my grandfather's passing.

As if losing him wasn't bad enough, we were left to deal with the witch.

Not only did she clean our family out of any inheritance that my grandfather left for his children (which he did leave, and she TOOK), but she no longer allowed us in the house (that my grandfather bought for my GRANDMOTHER), therefore eliminating the ability to go through and get anything of value to us...even those things having only SENTIMENTAL value...like MY CHILDHOOD PHOTOS.

I don't know what she's done with them. Thrown them away? Maybe. Burned them? Probably. Either way...I don't have them and I greatly wish that I did.

Had I been born in this day and age, none of that would be a factor. They'd all be neatly stored in cyberspace for all eternity available to me whenever I chose to enjoy them.

Interestingly, as I searched for a photo to include with today's post, I couldn't find a single one that conveyed what I wanted. You see, a picture truly is worth a thousand words, but in this case, since I couldn't find a picture we'll just have to go with the words.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: How old is the OLDEST photo that you have of yourself?

Talk to me!

Til next time...