My mother recently moved a few miles away from me after living 3000 miles away for the last 24 years of my life. ; She packed alot of things to bring with her and tossed out even more. ; One of the things she brought, she gave as a gift to me, and it is very special. ; My family has experienced alot of loss in the last decade. ; One of those losses was my dear grandmother, who was all the best things a grandmother should be. ; When I was little, I got to sleep over at her house, stay up late, and drink as much strawberry soda as I wanted. ; She always fixed angel hair pasta because it was (and is) my favorite and she taught me to make cherry pie. ; Her favorite hobby, was embroidery, and she made beautiful blankets for everyone in our family. ; We were always warm, when she was around. ; I miss her. Now my children have their grandmother right down the road from them and it is my deepest wish, that they will know and love her the way I loved mine. ; I spent a beautiful hour with her memory, photographing her sewing basket, which now stores all of the thread from her final project, alongside my knitting needles and my latest project - a scarf for my youngest son, which will keep him warm too (next winter, at the rate I am going! lol). ; I hope someday, I will be able to pass her basket on to my granddaughter. Photography is a wonderful thing. ; It's a record, which is a special thing in itself. ; But it's also a way of looking at the world differently, slowing down, and taking note of the little things. ; I like that. ; I like it alot.
And THAT is why we bring the camera up to our eye, right? Capturing emotion in hundredths and thousandths of a second, hoping that those fleeting moments last forever.
i had the same relationship with my maternal grandmother who has been gone since 2000. ; i think of her almost every day and wish that she could have met my wife and kids. ; i just lost my paternal grandmother about six weeks ago and she could make a knitting needle sing. ; we have lots of knitted blankets and sweaters and hats that came from her hands. ; i hope your kids realize what they have right in front of them and treasure the moments while they can. ; i am glad i came to that realization while i could still appreciate the living moments now that they are both gone. ;
The lovely thing about grandparents is that there is usually none of the baggage that exists between parents and their children. ; I hope not only my children will recognize and understand what they now have...but that she will too. ; That relationship - grandparent to grandchild - is a priceless one. ; I'm glad I experienced it too, Tim.
Great shot and story, my paternal grandmother knits as well, and I love everything that she has ever made. ; It's nice to go and see her and I wish I had more time to see her more often.
