Pictures of You

I learned a valuable lesson today at my grandma's funeral.

My cousin had made two beautiful collages of pictures of grandma with various family members. I looked through all those beautiful pictures taken through the years. Grandma with aunts, uncles, cousins...I looked and looked and couldn't find a picture of grandma with me. Being the oversensitive type I immediately thought 'Gee, my family didn't even care enough to put up a picture of me and my grandmother along with everybody else's.'

A little while later, I was back at the picture collages looking at all of those beautiful memories (sans me) when my aunt walked up. She looked at me meaningfully and said, "I tried and tried-I looked all over-but I couldn't find ANY pictures of you with grandma..."

All of a sudden I thought back...all those years, all those family gatherings...happy, laughing people pulling out cameras. "Oh, I won't get in the picture right now-my skin is not nice enough/my hair isn't done/i'm not dressed for it/i'm too fat" I thought to myself time and time again (always a reason), always accompanied by "At the next family gathering I will look nicer and i'll jump in the pictures then."

Years went by-I had several children. At every family gathering my kids looked nice because I took the time and care to get them ready. I always looked worn and tired like a mother does during those years. I never looked nice enough-by my own standards-to "jump in the picture."

Now I have no pictures.

When you are with loved ones, and somebody pulls out a camera, and you feel less than attractive-just jump in and show the beauty from within. There is nothing more glorious than seeing someone alight with the glow of love for their family!

Someday in the future those people in the pictures may be gone-but you will still be able to pull out those pictures and reminisce. You won't be preoccupied with how you look-you'll be too busy aglow with loving memories to even think about it...

we love and miss you grandma...~MIZPAH~