Today, for my 999th Blog Post I want to share something that has been on my heart for quite a long time.
A few weeks ago while shopping inside my favorite thrift I came across an incredible book entitled:
OUR GRANDMOTHERS
~Loving Portraits by 74 Granddaughters~
I was taken back by the beautiful cover and couldn't resist bringing the book home with me. Once home I became mesmerized by the photographs inside. But, one by one as the pages turned I felt a deep sadness building up within my spirit and more than a tinge of regret.
The entire book set my heart to wondering...
Pictures taken of me with my own Grandmother are few and far between so there are only a handful of such photographs to share. I can only recall two or three pictures taken of the two of us together before I became an adult, even though I spent many a long summer at her loving home.
There is only ONE taken of me with my paternal Grandmother, Grandma Bethel.
What I wouldn't give to have just one more snapshot of her hand held tightly in mine...
Now...I'm usually the picture-taking-person in our family. I'm almost always the one behind the lens and that is evident when I look back upon our photo albums and scrapbooks. I'm in about 1/3 of the pictures taken, at best. It's my own fault, too!
In the past I've been guilty of coming up with every excuse one can think of to NOT be in the picture...
I'm tired.
I don't have my make-up on.
I look fat.
I look old.
I'm not dressed right.
My hair's a mess.
(Etc., etc., etc., etc.,)
How silly I was!
Today I'd love to have more photos of me with my children. When I'm no longer around I want them to have something more than just my spirit to remember me by...
Today when I think about my Grandmother (she passed almost 4 years ago at nearly 92) I'm so grateful she didn't miss the chance to be in the handful of pictures I currently own.
I can't help but wonder if she had similar concerns to those that have crossed my own mind over the years. Maybe she was just happy to be loved, appreciated and valued by her family.
I think the latter is true.
When I look back upon old photographs I don't care if her hair is a mess or her clothes aren't right. I don't even notice if she's fat or thin or if there is rouge on her cheeks or lipstick on her thinning lips.
I only see her beautiful face.
I feel only her amazingly gracious heart.
So...what I want to say to you today before I begin my 1000th blogpost is this...
GET IN THE PICTURE!
Step out from behind the camera!
Celebrate life's fleeting moments with your children and grandchildren and stop caring if everything is perfect.
It's never going to be.
One day when you and I are gone our families will be so grateful to have something more than just their memories to help them move on.
~~*~~
Sunday Blessings...
31 comments:
An excellent post Rebecca!!! Spread the word!
Many hugs, Laura
See, I KNEW I was supposed to start blogging again today for a reason. I am NEVER in any pictures,by choice. I am just like you -always making excuses as to why I shouldn't be in them- too messy, too fat, too old...etc. You really opened my eyes today. I certainly want my grands to remember the time I spent with them. Blessings to you today, sweet Rebecca- xo Diana
I don't think that I am in any photos of my grandma's. I was in my in my teens when they passed away, so that might have been part of the reason. I think teens now aren't so weirded out about having their pictures taken. At least not one.. or two of my nieces on Facebook. I still don't like to have my picture taken I always pick my image apart when I see a picture of me. Too fat. flat hair, etc. I wish I had more pictures of my grandparents.
Great post!
I just made a post the other day on my grandpa.
Oooh Rebecca... what a touching post... I love your book... I am going to try to find one for myself... I'm happy that you do have some photos of you with your grandmothers... I am a sentimental lady as you well know... and I cherish my old family photos more than anything... when we had to evacuate our home several years ago after that gasline in our neighborhood broke, the first thing I grabbed to take with us was my parents old photo album... thanks for sharing all of the beautiful ladies in your life... and YOU look stunning always... I love it when ladies post pics of themselves... even if they are just doing housework, shopping, whatever... all women are beautiful... much love, xoxo Julie Marie (I usually have a critter of some kind in my arms when someone takes my photo!)...
This is a great post. I am one of those...always taking pictures of others and not ever letting people take pictures of me. Something to think about!
Oh Rebecca, Get in the picture, great advice from you, so future generations can see you (us).
I don't mind being photographed as it preserves a happy moment with family.
That book you found is lovely, and those precious photos of your very own grandma.
What a beautiful post! I have been the picture taker all these years and never got in the shot. Oh, how I regret that now! I have hundreds of pictures of my two sons when they were little boys fishing or doing sports or opening Christmas presents with their father and I was never in the picture. (I always thought I needed to lose a few pounds.) How sad. My husband took a picture of me in my twenties and my now grown son didn't know who the lady was in the picture.
My Daddy's words to me "you are always taking pictures, you need to get someone to take some of you" ;). So, I do:). I am happy for blogging, I take so many more pictures of simple, everyday things! I am thankful for that. Sweet pics of you and your families. Have a blessed Sunday, hugs.
Rebecca ~ as I write this comment the tears are running down my cheeks. I have felt the same way just the last couple of weeks. I am always behind the camera and there are no pictures of me and my hubby or my daughter. It IS time to step in front of the camera ~ Life is fleeting, a blink of an eye we can be gone ~
Thank you, thank you for this post
(((Hugs)))
All I can say is "THANK YOU for a HEARTFELT post~~~~~~Roxie
I agree !
I like getting my picture taken, not sure why hah
Maybe I just like the memories.
My hubby doesn't like it so I am going to share this post with him and pray for a change of heart.
He usually agree's to a photo every now and then.
Blessings
I know what you mean exactly. I am always the one taking the pictures. I have very few pictures with my grandmothers also and none with my grandfathers.
Have a great week.
XO
Ginger
Dear Rebecca, Oh girl, what a post. I never knew either of my grandmas and that is why being one is so important to me, being in the grands life but like most women, I don't like photos of myself either...but you've given me something to think about today. In fact, my brother and sil will be here this weekend and I plan to have lots of photos taken of all of us with the grands.
Thank you! Love, Noreen
Thank you, dear Rebecca!
Hugs!!!
I don't think I have one picture of my grandmother and when I was younger. At her 90th I was so glad we did get a picture then- she passed away the next year.
It is so important to capture those memories! Thanks for reminding us Rebecca!
This post made me miss my family so very much, Rebecca! Memories come flooding back. Even though I know I will see them in the not too distant future..I miss them so.
You have a lovely family!
Love,
Mona
Rebecca - What a beautiful post! I too am always the one that never wants to have her picture taken. I now realize that there have been so many special moments that I wish I had photos of and don't. I'm going to try and correct that.
Thanks.
Judy
Such a beautiful photo of you with your children and grandmothers-you are beautiful inside and out and you glow!
I got to thinking. This weekend I didn't get one shot of me and my little man. Thanks for making me think!
What a great post Rebecca,and so well said, we are all guilty of the things you mentioned, hair not done, tired, too chubby, clothes not good, ect. I know I am! Thanks for sharing,
Hugs Marilou
I love all of the pictures of the grandmothers... I was very close to my grandmother, she passed away in 2009. I still can hear her voice in my heart and although I do have some pictures of us together I wish I could take more...I know I will see her again.
This was a beautiful post.
Blessings,
Amy Jo
This is all very true! A very lovely post too.
My sorry brother made off with the majority of what was left of the family pictures, and I only have a few that I snitched through the years. None of my paternal grandma. She was 95 when she died, and I was in the 3rd grade. I do remember her though.
Dearest Rebecca,
Very touching 999th post! It is so true that there is always one behind the lens and I've used some excuses myself, like you mentioned in this post. But the older we get, the more realistic we become!
Hugs to you and treasure your special photos. One day, it's only the memory of photos and stories that we will leave behind...
Mariette
Rebecca, you've so inspired me! What a lovely and poignant post. I don't have nearly the quantity or quality of the kinds of photos I would like to have to pass onto my son, Robert. I always intended to, but I think you know how that goes.
So thank you for posting this. It has reminded me to be more in tuned to Life and all it's fleeting, yet, most precious moments.
By the way, your artwork is beautiful and you have so many lovely things in your shops.
Thank you for visiting me...it was an unexpected, pleasant surprise.
Love, and Blessings for more of Life's divine goodness,
Marianne xo
tHANK YOU SO MUCH for the reminder..I have NO PICTURES WITH either of my Grandparents. I have pictures of them. And I too do the "oh not me..I look terrible,fat ugly whatever " and try to avoid getting in the picture. I am now 71 years old and before long my own Grands wl be digging through all those pictures trying to find one WITH GRAMMA..gotta do something about that..
May I feature your post on my blog?
Jonell
Like Gramma's House
Beautiful post Rebecca. Unfortunately I never really knew my grandmothers. And my own mother passed away when I was in my 20's. But we were blessed that my hubby's Mom, who passed away this April, and a special Aunt were the Grandmothers to my own children. Something I never experienced myself. You are so right about the pictures. I do hope my children will treasure family pictures when I am gone.
Hugs,
Jocelyn
What a great collection of pictures
Hi Rebecca!!!
I am the same way!!!! I don't want to have my picture taken at all for the same reasons. But I was thinking about this lately also...I want my boys and my grandchildren to remember me. I WILL start having pictures taken of me and I will embrace that.I have very few pictures of my grandmother...I want my grandchildren to remember me
Great post sweet friend!!!
Suzann ~xoxo~
My dear friend Rebecca, Once again you have spoken so beautifully about what we miss out of on occasion because we feel we are lacking in some way. I am so guilty of that very same thing but after reading your blog I will make more of an effort to be in the picture whether perfect or not. Thank you again for speaking to my heart, Maureen
You are so beautiful and so is your family.
xoxoxox,
She
P.S. Still having issues, and I don't have a computer... only ths IPAD Ive borrowed from my mister. I can barefly see to type on it, but at least I can visit. Love you!
I agree with you wholeheartedly! I don't have very many photos of myself with my kids when they were little. And when we took trips, we took so many photos of the beautiful scenery but now everyone wants to see what they looked like 'back then'! haha! Now when my hubby and I do things together...I take a photo of him and he takes one of me...then we can relax and feed the ducks and take a walk, or whatever! This is such a great post, my friend! Hugs!
Such a tender post...and so true! I wish I had known my grandparents, but I didn't. They passed on when I was oh so young...and we lived in Calif., and they lived in other states.
I wish I had more pictures of my wonderful mother and I too. She passed on when I was 36...and I miss her so very much! Hardly a day goes by that I don't remember something wonderful about her! (:>)
I have had 14 grandchildren...and as you probably remember...three of them live with Jesus. I treasure the pictures I have of them...and we a a ton of pctures of the living 11 grandkids who range in ages from 5 to 22.
I have been blogging for several years now, and I only have 300 plus blog posts. I think I like to read blogs more than I like to write them...but blogging has been a blessing to me too...and I love reading your posts Rebecca.
Love, Linda
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