A Thousand Thousand Words

I once heard someone argue against taking pictures on vacations. Their thesis was that people become so busy documenting the events of their life, that they don’t take time to actually experience that life.

Then again, I’ve never heard anyone argue against having the pictures after the fact. So as long as my spouse and my siblings ignore experiencing life so that I can have photos, I’m good.

It’s the time of year that tradition mandates pulling out photos to put together the “Christmas Letter.” So my wife gave me the simple task of looking at pictures from my family gathering this summer.

The idea was to skim through the pics that brother Matt had compiled from the siblings cameras, find the two or three that captured the event, and be done with it.

Two complications. One, the skimming didn’t take into account the snap happy nature of my siblings, and I had to go through 945 pictures. Yeah, a picture is worth a thousand words, but a couple of days with my family is worth a thousand pictures.

Second, the reunion was the occasion of my brother’s funeral; and I had left unopened and unviewed the cd of pictures – until now. So the skimming was actually several emotional hours.

Here are two pics from those days that won’t make the annual letter, but are especially meaningful to me.

A sampling of nieces and nephews looking over into the neighbor’s yard. Check out the uncertainty and wonder as they see the “beyond.”

I’d like to think they are looking to the unknown possibilities of the future.

My niece and nephew starting construction on a sand castle. If I’ve got the timing right, this picture was taken while the adults were at the funeral home.

And the next generation is building.

I like that. I like that a lot.

Just my thoughts,

Sean