Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Hidden Treasure

I felt it was necessary to dedicate a separate post to one of the items I found in my blue tub of paperwork. Perhaps it was with good reason that I hadn't recycled the whole lot 4 months ago... because I found this:


This is a photo I took back in high school when I was in a photography class. Terrible processing aside, this photo is really something special. There is so much story here, so much depth and it would all have been lost had I just thrown everything into a recycling bin. The photo was tucked away in one of the binders, hidden between papers. I would have never known it was there had I not embarked on my paper making endeavors. 


This photo was taken in my grandparents's old home, the one I spent a lot of my childhood in. It was a very special house to me and all my cousins. In that closet on the right... that's where all our toys were- Lincoln Logs, Cowboys and Indians, farm animals and fences... we spent hours on that living room floor building our little homesteads and protecting them from enemies. The baseball game on the TV, grandpa in his chair, grandma in the kitchen or reading a book. Such incredible times, such amazing opportunities. So many memories.


From left to right, you can see in the photo: My aunt Janet, my grandmother's (Claire Mae) back, my cousin Jennifer, and my great grandmother (Millie Mae).


There are two sets of mothers and two sets of daughters in this photo: Janet is Jennifer's mother. Millie is Claire's. And both mother's have passed away in the last 8 years or so. 


In this photo my aunt is sitting in a wheel chair and her head is shaved. She had cancer and passed away some Christmases ago. 


In this photo, my great grandmother is sitting in her chair, watching her daughter walk into the kitchen. She passed away two Christmases ago, just after her 90th birthday. I wish I would have had more time with her. I had so much to learn.


This photo truly is a treasure and I am so thankful that I took the time to find it. Oddly, it came with an extra- two photos, same exposure. Maybe I will send one to my grandparents. I think they'd like it.


Searching for Treasures,
~Birdie

1 comment:

  1. Love this! speaking of art classes I take my ceramics class at a community college since you were asking :) best deal for access to a studio.

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